Impertinent little brat
by Hebi-san
Summary: Byakuya's returned to his younger self, and Renji just cannot grasp how that impertinent brat could grow up to be his captain. Might be something for those of you who enjoyed the Pendulum arc.*YAOI*R/R please. COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

Impertinent Little Brat (IMP)

**10/2011 - I'm just cleaning up the story a bit, there are no new chapters or such**

Chapter 1: No way in Hell: the Sixth division

Warning: Possible future shounen-ai

Characters: Byakuya, Renji, Rukia; along with most other characters that I felt like including

Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing.

* * *

It was the morning light that roused Renji from his dreams; the gentle but cruel rays finding their way in through the window and onto his face. And so it was with an annoyed grunt that he rolled over in his bed, and hid his eyes from the sun. The brief but vain hope that it was his day off fluttered through his brain. But he knew very well that it wasn't and therefore he had to go to work. Sighing Renji once more forced his eyelids to open and he fumbled for his alarm clock. It was a noisy little black contraption that Rukia had given him a few months back after one of her missions into the world of the living. Noisy and effective though it may be he had soon begun to loath the damned thing; but hated though it was it had quickly become an essential tactic for survival. It kept him from arriving late to the office and thus saved him from getting himself skewered by Senbonzakura.

That was as far as his thought process managed to take him before he bolted upright in bed, grasping the loathed alarm clock in his shaking hands while he stared at it with murky eyes. Blinking like an owl he tried to convince himself that he had to be misreading the clock somehow. That it was lying. That somehow the world had turned on its axle and thrown them all into some yet unknown hell-dimension.

But of course it hadn't. No such luck.

"Oh…Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…." He chanted, while he scrambled out of the ruffled bed. For a moment he stood there, unable to decide what action to do first when there was so many to do in the space of mere seconds. Then he threw himself at the bedside table and snatched up the comb before bolting into the bathroom, all the while chanting the song of one soon to be damned into washing dishes for an eternity.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck…"

The chant continued as he climbed into the shower, and while he stood there he decided to save time by multitasking. He tore the toothbrush from the shelf, shoved it in his mouth and started to brush, at the same time letting his bladder loose. No one would know about him peeing in the shower after all, and he didn't have time to take it slow now. When in need multitasking is your friend.

Within minutes he was out the door; his uniform thrown on haphazardly while he was still struggling to tie his belt while he ran. He hoped his old neighbour wouldn't peek out, lest he'd flash the poor unsuspecting granny and possibly causing her inevitable death. There were worse ways to go, if one considered the many and varied ways of dying, but still it would be quite a disgraceful way to go.

As he sprinted down the dusty street, gasping in the humid air in short pants, he thought he could hear someone laughing behind him, and he gritted his teeth in anger. Let them laugh, he though as he turned another corner, barely avoiding knocking over a youngster with a stack of papers. She shrieked when he barrelled past her, but he had no time to stop. And had any of those snickering bastards been in his situation they'd do the same damn thing! There were some things, or people, you just didn't want to mess with, and on the very top of that list was that amazingly frigid man he called 'Taichou'.

* * *

"Holy fuck…!" he exclaimed, panting, when he came to a halt just outside of the office. He might as well get the cussing out of the way before going into the office. Kuchiki-taichou wouldn't appreciate him… well talking like a normal human being. Or shinigami actually. Glancing at his wristwatch, another handy gift from the living world that was no where near as horrid as that traitorous alarm clock, he felt a sudden urge to laugh out loud, and possibly jump up and down in glee. He made it! Goddammit he'd made it!

Ah! This was a good day. A fantastic fucking fabulous day!

With a wide grin still adorning his features he slid the door to the office open and stepped inside.

"Kuchiki-taichou…" he began, halting when he found the room empty. No evil captain of doom in sight to give him a piercing glare. "Damn…" he muttered. He could've come in late, because obviously the captain had decided to do so himself.

Damn that sneaky bastard. If Renji didn't know better he'd have thought that the noble had planned this.

Sighing he closed the door to the office behind him as he stepped fully into the room and made his way over to his desk.

"Ouch! What the hell?" he yelled, jumping back from the desk when something struck his foot from underneath it. Glaring at the desk he frowned. What the heck was that? Was there someone under his desk? Getting down on his knees on the floor he peered under the desk, and sure enough he saw a movement from underneath. "Hey!" he barked. " Under there! Whoever ya are, ya better get out here!"

The only answer he got was a derisive snort from underneath the desk and Renji narrowed his eyes dangerously. He climbed back up on his feet.  
"What are ya deaf? Get outta there." He snapped at the desk. There was no snort this time, but a moment later a head popped up from under the desk, quickly followed by the rest of the frame of a boy. Perhaps thirteen or so years old, the redhead noted absently as he glared at the dark haired boy.

"Who the hell are ya?" Renji snapped, glaring at the boy. Absentmindedly noting that the brat reminded him of someone.

The boy gave him a superior glare, crossing his arms over his chest. "Who the hell are _you_? Can't you speak properly?" he corrected back, his chin tilted in a lazy manner that seemed vaguely familiar.

"Hey, brat." The redhead snapped back, pointing his finger accusingly at the dark haired boy. "Yer the one that broke into the sixth division's office, not me. Ya answer me first."

"I did no such thing. I have every right to be here." The brat replied nonchalantly.

"Oh yeah? And what are ya, Kuchiki-taichou's new servant?"

"Hardly. " The boy huffed. "I am however his grandchild."

Renji blinked.

"Ha! Now I know yer lying. Kuchiki-taichou doesn't have any grandchildren, he doesn't have kids either, ya little brat."

The boy's expression darkened. "Are you stupid? I _am_ his grandson. You are obviously the intruder here if you don't know that much. Go get someone of a higher rank. I tire of this conversation. "

And with that the brat turned away from him, and walked over to the captain's desk where he promptly sat down as if he had every right to do so.

"Oh no, ya don't…" Renji muttered, stalking over to the brat and grabbing a hold of his arm and hoisting him up. "Ya ain't sitting there. The cap'n gonna be here any second."

"Let me go." The brat snapped, trying to pull his arm free but Renji refused to give in and easily dragged the boy away from the desk to stand in the middle of the office.

"Let me go, you redheaded baboon," the boy yelled again, struggling in his grasp.

"Who the hell are ya calling a baboon, brat? I just saved ya from havin' yer hide skewered by…"

A low knocking on the door made him stop mid-sentence, and the boy wrenched his arm free when his grasp on it slackened somewhat. Rubbing his arm, the boy glowered at him accusingly, as if to say 'I'll get you back for this.'

Renji rolled his eyes, and then pointed a finger right between the eyes of the boy. "Stay right there. And don't ya dare move an inch."

The slight narrowing of the boy's eyes was the only response he got, and he decided that would have to do when the person on the other side of the door knocked again.

With another cuss he stomped over to the door and slid it open.

"Ukitake-taichou," he greeted the tall, white haired man standing on the other side, instantly taking a step back to let the captain inside.

"Ah, Abarai-fukutaichou," the gentle man smiled warmly. "Good morning. I just came by to check up on Kuchiki-taichou, it seems he's forgotten we were to meet over breakfast this morning."

Renji pulled a confused face. His captain never forgot things like that.

"I'm sorry, Ukitake-taichou, but Kuchiki-taichou isn't here, perhaps he…" he trailed off when he realised that the captain's focus had shifted away from him. Looking behind him he set his eyes on the only thing that could've caught the captain's attention. And ducked when a stapler was hurled at his head. Cussing he stomped back towards the boy who had thrown it at him, but as he reached out to grab him this time the boy easily flashstepped out of his way.

Growling Renji flashstepped as well, intent on getting his hands on the brat, but once more said brat sidestepped him, nearly making him crash into a wall in his haste.

Looking over his shoulder he found the brat standing a few feet away from him, wearing an annoying, superior smirk on his face.

"I'm sorry, Ukitake-taichou. My captain isn't here at the moment," he said through gritted teeth. "But I really need to get this intruder out of here before he returns."

"As if you could catch me." The brat snorted, flicking his hair back. Renji clenched his fists and fought down the urge to strangle the brat. He really wanted to beat the crap out of this rude little shit. He's just a kid, he told himself. I can't very well beat him up. Right?

"Abarai-fukutaichou. Have you met Kuchiki-taichou today?" Ukitake-taichou asked, and the redhead looked over at the white haired man, noting a worried expression on the man's face. He straightened, feeling as if that worry was important somehow. It was rare that Ukitake-taichou wore such a face, so when he did it had to be important.

"Nah, he wasn't in when I got here. Only that brat was here." He answered scratching the back of his head. "I figured he had a meeting or something."

The tall man nodded slowly, and stepped into the office, towards the brat. "What's your name?"

The boy's face darked again, his eyebrows knitting together in annoyance. "Byakuya," he replied stiffly. "You know me, Ukitake-san."

Renji stared at the boy. "No way."

* * *

Author's notes: I just enjoy writing Byakuya as a kid, and then I couldn't help but wonder what a meeting between his young self and Renji would be like. This is the result. Not so sure how IC it is, but it amused me.


	2. Chapter 2

Impertinent little brat (IMP)

Chapter 2: How did this happen?

* * *

Byakuya was confused as to why Ukitake-san would wear such a face of worry when he saw him. Prior to that moment he had scarcely seen the tall, gentle man look so worried. A pang of worry shot through him as he stood outside of the closed doors that lead into the chamber where the captains held their meeting. What if that look meant that something had happened to his grandfather? His grandfather had not been among the captains to enter that room, and Ukitake-san had come to the office that morning looking for him. Had he gone missing? What if his grandfather had fallen victim to the same mysterious disease that had plagued Rukongai lately?

Byakuya bit his lip, and absentmindedly picked up a small rock from one of the flowerpots lining the windowsill. As he considered this possibility he let the smooth rock roll between his fingers. No, he decided. It could not be so. His grandfather was much stronger than any weakling from Rukongai. Surely he would not allow himself to befall such a disgraceful fate. And if he had, why would the captains gather between closed doors instead of giving him their condolences and send him home to his so called loving family? When his father and mother died they did not even send one captain to deliver the news, but just one of the lower ranking shinigami. Of course his father hadn't been a captain, but he had been the heir of the Kuchiki house.

Yet the thought did little to calm him.

When the door to the room opened he jumped a little, quickly pocketing the rock as if he had been caught stealing.

"Byakuya-kun," Ukitake-san said with a gentle although still somewhat strained smile on his face as he motioned him closer. "Please come inside."

* * *

Renji regarded the brat's face as he was lead into the captains' meeting room, expecting something but not quite sure what. Perhaps a look of recognition? Or failing that perhaps astonishment for entering one of the most closely guarded rooms in Seireitei. He could see traces of neither on the boy's pale face. If anything he looked slightly bored. And possibly peeved. Whatever that hell raiser had to be peeved about Renji had no idea, the redhead thought and grudgingly thought back on the stapler that had been hurled at his head that morning.

Renji heard a sharp intake of breath from his left, and turned his head to see Rukia staring at the slight figure of her brother. She hadn't had a chance to see him prior to this, as both she and Ichigo had only just arrived from Karakura. In fact no one other than himself, Ukitake-taichou and Yamamoto-taichou had thus far met the brat in person, seeing as Yamamoto-taichou had decided to inform the other captains of the situation before letting them meet Byakuya.

Now the captains and their lieutenants, who had been asked to join the meeting, were staring, leaning forwards curiously to get a better look at the brat formerly known as the sixth division captain.

"Holy crap…!" he heard Ichigo exclaim with a snort. "He's just a kid. Ouch! What the hell Rukia, why are you…?"

"Shh, Ichigo!" he heard Rukia snap irritably, though in a hushed voice.

"Or what? You'll elbow me in the ribs again?" Ichigo replied, although he too kept his voice lower this time.

"What do you think?" Rukia answered in an icy tone.

"Yeah, shut up, Ichigo," Renji grumbled, sending a glare at the substitute shinigami.

"Hey, you gonna side with her?" Ichigo glared back.

"This is not the time to act like a dumbass, ya moron. Just shut up." Renji growled. As if this meeting wouldn't be tense and awkward enough as it was without Ichigo adding insult to injury.

Ichigo opened his mouth as if to answer, but just then Yamamoto-taichou cleared his throat loudly, and his friend quickly shut it again. Although even in doing so he shot both him and Rukia an annoyed glare.

"Ken-chan, is that Byakushi?" Yachiru's childlike voice spoke up, obviously ignoring the fact that Yamamoto-taichou had sternly cleared his throat. Turning his attention away from his friends Renji turned just in time to see the little pink haired lieutenant leap from her usual spot on Kenpachi's shoulder, which was shaking from restrained laugher, and rush over to a baffled looking Byakuya. "Gah, he's cute!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around the boy's middle in a fierce hug. "Can I keep him?"

Renji felt a headache growing, and he had to fight the urge to groan in dismay.

"Let go of me," Byakuya bit out, while trying to unbend the girl's arms from him, which in turn only seemed to make Yachiru more adamant about holding on.

"Ah, he is cute," Rangiku chimed in throatily. "It's not fair of Yachiru-chan to keep him all to himself."

"Matsumoto…" Hitsugaya-taichou muttered in a warning tone.

"My, my, even at such a young age he's having females flock to him. What chance is there for one such as I?" Kyoraku-taichou commented with a lazy, amused smile.

"Are you saying you wish Yachiru-san to hug you, taichou?" Renji heard Nanao ask dryly, and the flamboyant captain quickly sent her a quick, still somehow lazy, smile.

"No other female's embrace hold a penny to that of my Nanao-chan."

"This is ridiculous," he heard Soifon muttering. She had her arms crossed and, if possible, looked more annoyed than usual.

"Enough." That one word, spoken from the stern, unwavering Yamamoto-taichou was all it took for everything to come to a halt. As the captain commander of the Gotei thirteen stood from his seat, towering over them, all of the other shinigami in the room stopped. For a second Renji thought the whole room held a collective breath. "This meeting will begin now. Let go of Byakuya Kuchiki, Kusajishi-fukutaichou. "

Slowly, looking perpetual, the child fukutaichou's arms slid away from the brat, and she looked at the captain commander with huge, pleading eyes.

"Go back to your station," the old man ordered sternly.

With a small sigh Yachiru did as she was told, reclaiming her seat on Kenpachi's shoulder.

"Now," Yamamoto-taichou continued. "There are important matters that need to be discussed. I do not believe that I need to remind everyone in here that what we shall now speak off is not to leave this room."

Renji, along with everyone else in the room, nodded, but even as he did so he couldn't help but notice the confused look on Byakuya's pale face. If he really didn't remember who he was, or rather who he was to become, Renji realised, and he doubted that he did considering his very un-Byakuya like behaviour, it was no wonder that he was confused. He almost felt bad for the brat.

Now turning his attention to the boy standing in the midst of the captains and the lieutenants gathered, the captain commander surveyed him for a moment before speaking; "Do you know who you are?"

Renji saw a brief furrowing of the boy's eyebrows, as if he was annoyed by the question, before he tilted his chin in that arrogant manner which Renji recognised so well. It was one of the few things that seemed to not have been lost in Byakuya since his childhood days, no matter how different he was as a person.

"I am Byakuya Kuchiki, heir of the Kuchiki clan," the boy answered with a clear voice. Not too loud to be considered raising his voice, but still not too low for anyone to miss his words. The perfect little lord from top to bottom.

Yamamoto peered down on the boy, and the boy met his stare evenly for a few moments. It was a feat Renji doubted he'd have been able to pull off, and no way that he'd look that calm and collected even if he tried.

"Indeed you are," Yamamoto finally concluded, turning back to his seat and sitting down. "Do you know what happened to you?"

Byakuya's gaze shifted uncertainly, if only for a second, before steadily returning to gaze at the elderly man. "Happened to me, Yamamoto-taichou?"

"The reason for why you appear before us now, as a child."

"I am not a child," Byakuya said icily, and as the brat's eyes narrowed in indignation, Renji's eyes widened in shock. Was he going to talk back to the commander-general? The brat had to be nuts!

"The brat's got balls," Ichigo commented beside him, and Renji could almost hear the smirk that no doubt was spread on his face. He could also hear his friend's sudden gasp for air, followed by a wheezed out "…what the hell, Rukia?"

Renji didn't turn to look at what Rukia had done to Ichigo, as his eyes were staring alternately between the idiot brat and the commander-general. Neither of which seemed inclined to speak at the moment, but seemed to have settled on a staring contest. A battle of the wills.

To his surprise it was the commander that eventually backed down, saying: "Perhaps not as childlike as your appearance, but never the less younger than last we saw you."

Again a confused look dawned on Byakuya's young face. "I do not know what you are speaking of," he finally admitted, crossing his arms over his narrow chest. "I am no younger now than I was yesterday."

"I see. In that case you may leave, but…"

"Why should I leave? I want you to explain why…" the brat interrupted, an angry scowl on his face.

"You will leave, Kuchiki." Yamamoto-taichou said sternly in a voice that gave no room for argument. "And you will wait outside for us to address you. This is a captains meeting, and no place for someone not yet in the Gotei thirteen."

Although it was obviously an order, and one spoken very sternly at that, the brat didn't seem inclined to back down. His slight stature straightened angrily, and dread crept up Renji's spine when Byakuya opened his mouth again to protest. Fortunately he halted when Ukitake-taichou's hand fell on his shoulder. Byakuya looked up at the white haired captain, who bent down and whispered something to him. Whatever he said seemed to appease the brat, for the next moment he let himself be lead out the door. However when the door closed behind him Renji could've sworn that he heard a thud against the wood, followed by a yelled out cuss, and he wondered if the kid had kicked the door.

"It would seem that Byakuya-san has no memory of what might have happened," Unohana-taichou said. She at least seemed as calm as ever.

"So it would seem," Yamamoto-taichou nodded, looking grim.

"In that case I think we should consider what might have happened," Ukitake-taichou spoke up. "And more importantly; how we reverse it."

"Could it be some kind of virus?" Kyoraku-taichou asked, turning to Unohana-taichou.

"I doubt it. I've never encountered a virus that would have such an effect on the victim," she answered serenely. "But I'll run some tests."

"If it's a virus he probably got it from Toushiro," Kenpachi grumbled, eyeing the small captain with a grin. Hitsuagaya-taichou sent him a cold glare, before proceeding to ignore him and instead spoke up: "If it was a kido of some sort, we should consider who was responsible."

The room went silent for a second, everyone's minds drawn to the same conclusion. Renji saw that Ukitake's two seated officers Sentarou and Kiyone exchanged a look of dread. Those two, though loyal to their captain, never did strike him as the fiercest of warriors.

"Aizen." Rangiku voiced all of their worries.

"Possibly, or at least one of his cronies. And if it was Aizen's doing we all know that that man would have an agenda behind it."

"What could he have to gain from turning Byakuya-kun into a… youngster?" Ukitake asked aloud thoughtfully.

"Who the hell cares?" Kenpachi snorted.

"He'd be easier to kill," Hitsugaya-taichou said grimly. Renji ground his teeth angrily. Like hell he'd let that happen!

"I hate to say it but that does make sense." Kyoraku nodded slowly, and a murmur of agreement was heard from the other occupants of the room.

After that they didn't get much further in the discussion even though it lasted for hours until the commander-general finally announced the meeting to be over.

When they finally exited the meeting room Renji made sure to find his brat captain quickly. It wasn't very difficult as he had dutifully waited outside of the room for the remainder of the meeting, seated on a windowsill while he stared off into the distance with a thoughtful look. It was a look that he recognised. He'd seen Byakuya wear that look many times since becoming his fukutaichou. Though normally he wouldn't be biting his lip while doing it, making him look more like a child than ever.

Although he may look like a child, Renji corrected himself as he approached the boy, he was still his damned captain, and if there were any damn hollows or espadas out to get him now, Renji would make it his business that they didn't get within ten feet of that brat.

"Well that was a huge waste of time," Ichigo said, stretching his arms as he walked up to Renji.

"Keep your voice down, you moron," Renji snapped at him, feeling… unsettled, and thus also feeling the need to bark at someone.

"It was, idiot," his friend barked back. "Instead of talking for hours about what might have happened to that brat, we could've been out trying to get a lead on what the hell did happen!"

"And how'd we do that, moron, if we don't know what to look for?" Renji growled, feeling the urge to draw Zabimaru and work off some of the tension he had been feeling since that morning.

"By looking, idiot!"

"Who are you calling a brat?" Byakuya's cool voice cut through their argument, and they both turned their heads to see the lean little lord glaring at them from his seat.

"Who do you think?" Ichigo smirked at the dark haired boy.

"Back off, Ichigo. He may be little now, but he's still my goddamn cap'n."

Before Ichigo had a chance to retort Byakuya did.

"I am fifteen, you baboon!" he snapped, glaring at Renji indignantly as he climbed back inside.

Renji blinked, and instantly found himself apologizing to the brat. "I didn't mean any harm, Kuchiki-ta…san," he finished, and considered it to be a valid excuse.

Obviously the brat didn't agree, as his eyes narrowed into a piercing glare. It was something akin to the kind of glare that usually would send other shinigami scrambling to get away when the captain was his adult self. Still he found that it didn't have the same effect on him now as it usually did, and Renji furrowed his brow, glaring back.

Just as he was starting to think it'd turn into an all-day staring contest, the brat nonchalantly turned on his heel, waving it away and said: "I forget myself. I keep expecting more from a fukutaichou of the Gotei thirteen, but then I remember that you are nothing but a common gutter rat, and little can be expected of such."

For a second Renji feared that his eyes were going to pop out of his sockets from sheer fury, as he watched the brat begin to walk off down the hallway.

"Hey! Who the hell do you think you're calling a gutter rat, ya prissy brat?" he roared at the boy's retreating back, taking a step forwards to go after him.

At the sound of his voice the boy's back stiffened, and he slowly turned to look at him, a look of disbelief in his angry eyes. "What did you call me?"

"A prissy brat, ya prissy brat!" he yelled back. "'cause that's what ya are!"

Next to him Ichigo keeled over, roaring with laugher.

"Do not dare to beseech names upon me, baboon," the boy countered in a hiss, fully turning and walking back towards him swiftly. "You ought to learn how to address those above your stature before opening that filthy hole you call a mouth."

"Oh yeah? So what? Yer the only one who's allowed to call people shit, just 'cause you're too tight to take one?"

Byakuya's eyes grew wide, as if he couldn't believe the words coming out of Renji's mouth, but Renji didn't care. The brat started this, dammit! The rage in those grey eyes never left, though it seemed momentarily stunted by shock, and for a second Renji expected the boy to attack him. And then Byakuya's face grew calm, though his eyes still blazed with rage.

"May I remind you, baboon," he said in a clipped tone. "of whom you are speaking to: I am not one of your lowly gutter thrash friends that you can address as you please."

"No, just some prissy brat, too damn short to…" he never got to finish that sentence as the boy picked up a rock from his pocket at hurled it at him, hitting him on the forehead.

"I am fifteen!" he heard Byakuya yelling at him even as he groaned and rubbed his forehead.

"Well I'm fucking sorry, ok?" he screamed back. "Now would ya stop throwing things at me?"

Glaring at him Byakuya still seemed more inclined to attack him, then snorted and turned his back at him.

"As if it's my fault he's short for his age," he muttered to Ichigo who continued laughing. He must have said that last bit a tad too loudly, because once more the brat stopped and turned towards him.

The fight was back on.

* * *

Rukia watched, transfixed as the argument progressed. Not because she found arguing particularly interesting in itself, but rather because of who was doing the arguing. She had never seen her brother like this, so openly angry… leaving his emotions to play openly on his face, in his voice, even in his body language. It was disturbing.

How could this argumentative young man have become the stoic, chilling presence that she had grown so accustomed to?

"Why have you not yet left as I ordered, Kuchiki?" Yamamoto asked grimly, as if wishing nothing more than to send her away.

Turning her attention away from the furious Renji, and the equally furious brother of hers, as well as the laughing Ichigo, Rukia faced one of the eldest and decidedly the sternest shinigami in Seireitei. As always she was forced to realise that she didn't have a clue of how to speak to this man, or how to convey the urgency and importance of the request she was about to make. Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she bowed to Yamamoto respectfully before speaking.

"Yamamoto-taichou, forgive me for my rudeness. I did not mean to offend you, but," Rukia began, tuning out the arguing voices from the hallway. "I have a favour to ask of you."

The elderly shinigami peered down on her, his brows wrinkling as he regarded her thoughtfully.

"Go on, Kuchiki," he finally stated in a grim voice, as if he did not look forward to granting any favours that day but still was reluctant to deny her the opportunity to ask for one.

Nodding as well Rukia drew a deep breath, and then looked up at the man with steely eyes.

"Yamamoto-taichou, I implore you to not send my brother back to the Kuchiki household. "

* * *

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Impertinent little brat

Chapter 3: Rukia's game plan

* * *

Rukia shivered internally under the steely gaze of the grave Soutaichou, and not for the first time since making her request did she wonder at her own sanity for bothering the head of the Gotei thirteen with such a thing. But, she reminded herself, this was important. For her sake, for the Kuchiki clan's sake, and most of all for her brother's sake – although she doubted that the boy he now was would understand her reasoning. No doubt he'd scorn her if he found out about it, but she saw no other way.

"Why should I not send him back to his family, Kuchiki?" the elderly shinigami spoke after a long silence, and she felt some of the tension in her chest settle.

At least he hadn't refused her request… yet.

"I believe it could be dangerous for my brother to return in such a form, Yamamoto-taichou," she began slowly, still not looking up at the old man while she tried to choose her words carefully. She couldn't reveal too much of the Kuchiki household, such a thing could be considered treason to the clan, yet she couldn't reveal too little for fear that the captain would overlook the danger which she dreaded. "There are many within the Kuchiki family who would not see a child fit to rule their clan."

"Are you speaking of a coup, Kuchiki?"

"They would not refer to it at such."

"They never do," the old man muttered, somehow managing to sound both bitter and amused at the same time. Yamamoto was silent for another few second, and when Rukia glanced up she caught him looking towards the still open doors to the room with a thoughtful expression. He was watching the fight. She had almost forgotten about that.

"Who the hell do you think you are, brat?" Renji's frustrated roar cut through the silence in the room suddenly, and she winced.

"I know who I am, baboon, what you should consider is…"

"Do you believe that his safety would be compromised?"

Rukia blinked, her focus instantly returning to the captain when he spoke. She opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated. Byakuya's safety. Physically he would be fine she ha little doubt, but those conniving, scheming relatives of his (and they were many) would without doubt try to steal his spot as head of the clan. It was up to her to see to that that did not happen, so steeling herself she looked into Yamamoto-taichou's eyes.

"Yes," she lied, and hoped that the man would not detect her lie.

The captain showed no sign of believing her nor did he show any of disbelieving her, and the silence stretched between them.

"Very well," the man finally nodded his head once. "Let the boy stay with his fukutaichou until further notice."

"With Renji, but..?" Rukia began, startled, before she could stop herself, but the old man interrupted her abruptly.

"Do not speak out of line, Kuchiki." And when she bowed her head quickly he continued. "It would seem that they have some issues that need to be addressed, and Abarai-fukutaichou would surely be able to protect his captain if the need arose, would he not?" At this Rukia could only nod her head. "I don't know much about the Kuchiki-household, Kuchiki, but I trust that you have had enough time to learn about how they run their clan. I will opt to trust your judgement in this question."

"Thank you, Yamamoto-taichou," she replied, honest relief in her voice. Still she did feel bad about lying to him, even if it was a minor lie.

"Don't thank me yet. Although I agree to your request on this matter, I also wish for you to overlook how things run within the Kuchiki-clan. Tell them that Kuchiki-taichou has gone for a mission, and keep your eyes and ears open for any sign of that danger which you spoke of."

"Yamamoto-taichou… do you want me to spy on them…?"

"If that threat that you spoke of is as real as you believe there ought to be good reason for doing so, Kuchiki. Unless you now believe it to be less threatening than you first thought?"

Rukia's breath caught in her throat. So he did have his doubts… and he had caught her in a trap. She didn't want to spy, but if she refused to spy on her brother's family the old man would judge her request as invalid.

"I understand, Yamamoto-taichou. I will do as you say."

* * *

Byakuya had never much cared for hospitals. He didn't like the smell of them, and he didn't like the gentle consideration from the people who worked there. At his home he was used to overly polite people and grovelling, but then at least he knew it was all a farce. This gentleness had to be false too, his instincts told him, but still there seemed to be no falseness to these people. It was ludicrous of course; people were not this good by nature. People were false and scheming, and saw to nothing but their own fortune. It was in their nature.

Still it was difficult to hold on to that notion when he looked into the eyes of Unohana-taichou.

"Are you feeling well, Byakuya-san?" she asked him softly, still gazing into his eyes, and he nodded silently before remembering himself. It was impolite not to respond to a captain of the Gotei thirteen. Yes, his grandfather had taught him well.

"Yes, Unohana-taichou," he quickly responded instead, careful to keep his voice polite yet cool, as he had been taught.

"That is good." The woman smiled gently at him, and stroked his hair in an almost motherly fashion. At least that was how it seemed to him, as he could recall only his mother doing such a thing to him. Ever.

It felt oddly comforting, though Byakuya wasn't sure why he needed comforting.

"The test results should be back soon. Would you like some tea while we wait?" Unohana-taichou asked, standing up from her seat and moving towards a desk on the other side of the room. On it stood a teapot and cups, as if it had been placed there beforehand.

"Yes, thank you, Unohana-taichou," he responded, also standing from his seat on the examining table and walking over to the desk.

"Please have a seat, Byakuya-san," the female captain said, motioning towards an empty chair.

* * *

"He said what?" Renji exclaimed when she told him of Yamamoto-taichou's decision. Next to her Ichigo was practically keeling over in glee, and she shot him an angry glare before trying to calm her friend.

"Shhhh…!" she urged the redhead hurriedly, looking around for any sign that they had been overheard. "Keep your voice down, Renji."

"Yeah, idiot. We're in a hospital, remember?" Ichigo added. Damn, he was still smirking.

"How am I supposed to keep it down when yer telling me that that little monster is going to live in my house '_until further notice_'?" Renji snapped, though she noted that he had in fact lowered his voice significantly now.

"He's not a monster, Renji," she snapped back, glaring at her friend. "He's _my_ brother, and, if you've forgotten, also _your_ captain. It's our duty to see to his safety, especially now that he won't be able to do so himself."

"That's easy for ya to say, ya don't have to live with him," Renji replied. Now he just sounded childish but she knew telling him that would not ease things along any.

"It's not easy for me to say," she argued in a soft tone of voice. "It's just the way things are now."

Renji's face softened and he sighed a bit dramatically. "Fine. I guess we don't have a choice, but how the heck am I supposed to explain him to people?" Renji asked exasperated.

"I don't know, Renji," Rukia groaned. "Tell people he's your cousin or something."

"Everyone knows that I don't have any family, Rukia."

"Tell them he's your boy-toy," Ichigo suggested, grinning and obviously finding the whole situation much too funny for Rukia's liking.

"My…" Renji's face darkened into an angry scowl. "Shut up, Ichigo."

"Make me, baboon-face," Ichigo shot back, grinning.

"Damn right I'll make ya, carrot-top!" Renji growled, putting a hand on Zabimaru's handle, only to receive a hardy kick in the shin from Rukia. She then turned and did the same to Ichigo, effectively interrupting the fight.

"Shut up the both of you," she hissed. Honestly, sometimes these two were behaving like a couple of buffoons. No wonder her brother regarded them with disdain. Her brother. Right, she though, he always did seem to know how to get these two to do as he wished. More or less. Perhaps if she tried to do things his way she could handle them too. Straightening her back she shot them the best imitation of Byakuya's chilling glare that she could muster and said; "We don't have time for you two arguing. Renji, you look after Nii-sama, and Ichigo, I need you to check into this business from within Seireitei and Rukongai. If there's anyone who knows anything about what happened to Nii-sama we will find out and we'll fix it. But don't let anyone know about Nii-sama's condition."

Her two friends blinked at her, and she scowled back and had to strain herself from smacking them both on the head to make them snap out of whatever kind of stupor they were currently in. Then the two men exchanged a sheepish look and backed away from each other.

"Hey, Rukia," Ichigo finally said, scratching his head. "Way to go with the commander roll."

"Yeah," Renji nodded. "For a while there ya sounded a bit like the cap'n."

Feeling a wave of pride at that, she quickly pushed the sensation away. She couldn't risk loosing their focus now she reminded herself. She nodded her head briskly.

"So everyone clear on this then?" she demanded to know.

"Yep. I'll go check on what I can find out," Ichigo nodded.

"And I'll… babysit the cap'n." Renji added with a crestfallen look on his face that made Ichigo grin. Sensing the fight that would no doubt erupt if she let Ichigo say what he was thinking she quickly said; "Good. Now get going."

They both nodded their heads solemnly, and moved towards the closed door to the small infirmary room where she had ushered them into earlier. Before he opened the door though, Ichigo stopped with his hand on the handle and turned to look at her.

"Hey, by the way, Rukia. What are you going to do?"

Rukia hesitated, and looked at her friends thoughtfully before answering: "I'll look into things from within the Kuchiki clan." She finally admitted.

"Ya think they got something to do with it?" Renji queried and an angry scowl set on his face. Renji may huff and puff about Byakuya at every twist and turn, Rukia thought, but if there was one thing that he was it was loyal. He'd protect his captain with his life if he had to, and he'd never be able to understand the undercurrent of schemes that built the Kuchiki-clan.

"I don't know," she sighed. She hoped that they didn't. "But if they do I'll find out."

* * *

"Why would I wish to stay with you?" the brat asked, his arms firmly crossed over his narrow chest as he looked Renji over with an infuriatingly condescending look.

Renji had to bite his tongue not to snap at the brat, and after a second, letting the pain give him focus on what needed to be done rather than what he wanted to do, he responded as calmly as he could; "Because it was a request from Yamamoto-taichou. He thought ya might want to look into how real shinigami work and live."

"So why would I wish to stay with _you_ then?" Byakuya challenged, arching an eyebrow.

Ok, Renji thought gritting his teeth; don't let him get to you. Keep your cool. You can shove his head down the toilet later.

"Because I'm a fukutaichou of the Gotei thirteen," he said, biting his tongue once more to keep from strangling the brat. If this continued much further he'd have no tongue by the end of the week.

"I still have my doubts about that." Byakuya commented.

"And " Renji added furiously. "Because I'm the sixth division's second in command, so the commander-general decided it'd be best for you to stay with me."

He hadn't said that it was his grandfather's division, seeing as he didn't want to lie to the annoying little wraith.

The boy tilted his head to the side, looking at him in the same condescending manner as before, and Renji glared back. For a moment he was certain that the brat would scoff at his proposal, which wasn't really a proposal but an order, and refuse to go with him, but then the brat completely changed his course of action and said in a drawl:

"Let us depart then, baboon," and pushed past him and began walking off, as if he knew exactly where he was going despite the fact that he obviously had no clue of the direction to Renji's apartment.

With a growl Renji turned to go after him, before he got himself lost in the labyrinth of walkways, roads and alleyways that was Seireitei.

"Abarai-fukutaichou."

Renji stopped and turned back towards the fourth division's captain. "Yes, Unohana-taicou?"

"May I have a word with you?"

Again this wasn't a request so much as an order, seeing as it was coming from a captain, but Renji nodded his head and said: "Of course, Unohana-taichou."

The woman watched the departing figure of his brat captain for a moment before speaking again, in a slightly lower tone of voice: "Do be patient with him, Abarai-fukutaichou. He will need someone to keep him up when the world he knows crumbles at his feet."

Renji blinked in surprise. That was not what he had been expecting.

"The tests I did showed no signs that whatever was done to him have in any way compromised his spirit or reiatsu. It's as if his body just grew younger overnight, bringing all memories of the years passed with it."

She paused, and gave Renji an unusually stern look that made him gulp.

"He will need to know the facts."

Then, with one last departing smile she turned and went back inside the Fourth division's headquarters, leaving Renji to stare at the closed door in horror.

Oh right, the captains hadn't wanted to tell the brat about what had happened to him until they had determined that his state wouldn't have an effect on his mental stability if her learned the truth. So now Unohana-taichou had decided it was safe to tell him, and of course the weight of actually doing the explaining fell on Renji. How come he felt like he was the victim in this whole thing?

How the hell did you tell someone that he had missed out on the past hundred years of his life? Heaving another sigh Renji turned and trudged after the brat, deciding to go by the rule "first thing first." And the first thing right now was to steer the hell-raiser towards his apartment before they both found themselves in the middle of Rukongai.

* * *

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Impertinent little brat

Chapter 4: The first Truth

* * *

"You live here?"

Renji closed his eyes and took a deep breath, whilst once again reminding himself not to strangle the brat. Turning around he glared at said brat, who was standing on the threshold to his apartment, a look of raw and lazy contempt on his pale features.

Renji crossed his arms across his chest, and tried to keep his voice calm when he responded; "Yeah, I live here. Get in; I'll whip up something for us to eat."

The brat raised one eyebrow, then stepped into the apartment and closed the door behind him. All the while he peered around the living room with that same unimpressed look. Guess he's never been in a normal sized home before; Renji thought and recalled the enormous rooms of the equally huge Kuchiki compound.

As if he had read his mind Byakuya suddenly said: "It's small."

"Yeah well, not everyone can live in palaces and bathe in gold, ya know," Renji grunted back, and stomped off towards the kitchen.

Having that little wretch in his home was already getting on his nerves, and they had just gotten through the front door. It wasn't as if his home was a total dump after all, perhaps not as tidy as most women would've liked but it had charm, in a rugged manly way. Yep, ruggedly handsome like himself, he thought as he rummaged through the cabinets for something to cook.

"You're going to cook?" that voice reached his ears again, filled with doubt, and Renji set down the bowl of noodles he had found on the tabletop with a bit more force than needed.

"Yeah, ya got a problem with that?" he snapped, turning towards the boy who had followed him into the kitchen.

"No. It is fitting for a commoner to know their place in the company of someone of higher status," the boy answered, turned his back on him and walked out of the kitchen.

Renji bit his tongue, hard. I'm not gonna kill him, he repeated to himself. I'm not gonna kill him… but I'm gonna spice his food real good…

Twenty minutes later Renji wanted to smack himself in the head for his own stupidity. He couldn't believe he had forgotten that the cap'n liked his food spicy. Despite adding a fair share of Tabasco sauce, a hot red sauce he had picked up from Karakura, and wasabi into the brat's portion of noodles, the brat ate it without difficulty. Damn it. Damn him. Who the heck liked their food _that_ spicy? Not fucking normal.

"Are you going to stare at me all night, baboon?" the brat asked without looking up from his meal, and Renji grunted a "no" before going back to his own food.

After the meal he decided to set up the sleeping arrangement while the kid drank a coup of tea, so he went into his bedroom and gathered a pile of sheets that he carried into the living room. When he was making a bed on the couch he could feel eyes on him and he turned his head, seeing the brat standing in the doorway to the kitchen, calmly observing him.

"I'm making a bed here on the sofa, ok?"

"Fine," the brat shrugged, and then walked past him into the bedroom. Before entering his bedroom he glanced over his shoulder at the redhead, and added with a smirk; "Sleep tight."

Then the bedroom door shut behind him, leaving Renji to gape at it, frozen in the action of stuffing a pillow into a pillowcase.

That. Little. Bastard. Renji stuffed the pillow into the case roughly and threw it down onto the couch, before stomping across the room to the shut door.

"Oh hell no, ya prissy little shit!" he hollered when he threw the door open with a bang and stepped inside. Byakuya turned around with a surprised look, and he walked over to him, pointing a finger in his face. "There's no way yer sleeping in my bed, and delegate me to the damn couch!"

A dark look flashed over the surprised boy's face then and he slapped the finger pointing in his face away.

"And you're deluding yourself if you believe that I will sleep on your lice infected sofa, baboon!" he snapped back angrily.

"Lice infected? I'll have ya know that's a perfectly good couch!"

"In that case you shouldn't mind sleeping on it."

"The hell I won't; this is my house, and that's my bed! Yer the one who's gonna sleep on the couch," Renji shouted, grabbing a hold of the brat's arm and dragging him towards the door.

"Let go of me!" the boy cried out, trying to tug his arm free but this only made Renji grip his arm tighter, and his resolve grow more adamant. "Let me go!"

"Sorry kid, yer not my superior and I don't follow yer orders," Renji snapped over his shoulder, dragging the protesting brat out of the bedroom with a tug. The tug may have been a bit too hard, Renji admitted to himself, when it caused the boy to trip and fall to the floor, the only thing keeping him from slamming into the floor being the hold Renji had on his arm.

The brat cried out in shock when his knees hit the floor, and Renji felt a cold feeling run through him. As if by its own violation his hand let go of the arm as if he had been burnt and he stood there, feeling… what? He couldn't tell… regret? Shame? He hadn't wanted to hurt the brat.

"Hey, ya alright?" he asked, his voice sounding oddly hollow to his own ears. "I didn't mean to hurt ya."

The boy remained on the floor for a moment, before he looked up at the redhead with flinty eyes. "I'm fine. It's not as if someone as lowly as you could actually harm me."

Ordinarily that would've made him angry, Renji thought, but now he just felt relieved. Despite all of Byakuya's bratty behaviour, he was still just a kid at the moment, and he sure as hell didn't want to harm him. Not really.

"Good," he muttered, and extended a hand for the kid so he could help him up.

Byakuya only gave the hand a dismissing glance before he rose to his feet by himself, and gave Renji a hard glare.

"The bed is mine." He stated, and Renji blinked. Before he had a chance to protest the brat had walked past him into the bedroom, and slammed the door shut behind him.

Renji stared dumbfounded at the door, then heaved a sigh and walked into the living room where he stared down at the couch.

"Guess it's just ya and me, ol' lumpy," he sighed and flopped down on it.

* * *

Rukia's feet felt heavy as she walked up the stairs that lead to the main house of the Kuchiki clan. On both sides of the stair there were lush gardens, impeccably groomed by the gardeners, but they were huddled in darkness now that evening had descended on Seireitei. It had been some time since she last went here, as she usually preferred to stay in her room in the thirteenth division's quarters, and even longer since she visited when Byakuya wasn't there to greet her. She didn't enjoy the Kuchiki house when he wasn't there, as the other family members that may be there always looked on her in disdain or open contempt. With Byakuya present, even if he wasn't in the same room, they never dared to show their true emotions regarding her openly.

"Welcome home, Kuchiki-sama," Huuori Nuituji, the head of the guards of the Kuchiki clan, greeted her when she reached the top of the stairs. Always polite and stoic he bowed to her and she nodded her head in greeting.

"Thank you, Nuituji-san."

"Kuchiki-dono is not home," the man informed her; he always called her brother dono. She wondered if he was trying to warn her, or if he was merely stating a fact.

"I know. Nii-sama is on a mission, I was asked to inform my clan. "

"I see."

"Are any of my relatives present?" she asked, inwardly cringing at having to refer to those people as her relatives. Of all of the Kuchiki the only one she really counted as her family was Byakuya.

To her disappointment Huuori nodded. "Akane Kuchiki-sama and Akihiko Kuchiki-sama are visiting."

Rukia felt a surge of dread flow through her, not only was there relatives present, but it was two of the worst ones at that. She felt the urge to run back to her room at the division, but stopped herself. She had vowed to do this, and she didn't go back on her word. She would face them with all of the dignity she could muster, even if it killed her.

Nodding slowly she walked past the guards and walked into the house.

"Kuchiki-sama," one of the servants exclaimed when she stepped inside. "Welcome. Let me show you to your room."

"I know the way, thank you." She responded softly.

"Of course, Kuchiki-sama. Is there anything that you would like me to get for you?" the servant asked, bowing.

She didn't have the time to answer, for in that moment a tall, slender woman all dressed in red rounded the corner and walked into the hallway.

"I thought I heard something," the woman said in a deep, sultry tone, a smile Rukia knew was one of spite, on her red painted lips. "Rukia Kuchiki, my cousin's wayward sister has come."

"Akane-sama," Rukia greeted, bowing to the woman. In the pit of her stomach she felt dread form like a lump of ice.

"Tell me, where have my cousin gone, Rukia?" Akane asked, and as usual she didn't use any honorific when she addressed Rukia. If wasn't out of some kind of closeness between them of course, she never used the honorific because not using them was a subtle way of telling Rukia that she didn't feel the need to use them on a commoner. Someone unwanted, someone who in her opinion should be thrown out of the clan and onto the street. "My brother and I were hoping to speak to him."

"Nii-sama is on a mission, Akane-sama," she responded.

"Is that so? When shall he be back?" She talked to her like she was a servant girl.

"I do not know, Akane-sama." Rukia said, careful to keep her voice low and respectful although she wanted to punch the woman in the face.

"That is unfortunate, we had hoped to make this a quick visit, but now I am afraid we shall have to remain until his return." The woman said and walked back the same way she had come.

As she watched Akane walk away Rukia wanted to scream in frustration. They refused to leave until they had spoken to her brother, and she was stuck in this house with them? This was going to be long stay, she thought as she headed towards her rooms.

* * *

He was standing in front of the counter, piles of hamburgers lying all over it. He reached for another one, groaning in bliss as he swallowed down the meat, and when he was done with that one took another, and another, and another, and still the piles were never ending. He munched and munched, enjoying every bite and the piles grew, and he knew that he had to be in some sort of heaven. A heaven filled with endless piles of…

Something poked him, and he looked down but found nothing there, so he continued to eat. Another poke.

Then another.

And Renji opened his eyes with a groan, feeling the delicious dream ebb away.

"The hell…?" he murmured, closing his eyes and trying to roll over but found that something was in the way.

"Get up."

"Wha…?"

"Get up."

Opening his eyes again, Renji turned his head and found the brat looking down at him, arms crossed and a stern look on his young face.

"What time is it?" he groaned, frowning and rubbing his eyes.

"Seven. I want breakfast."

"Seven?" He exclaimed and sat up on the lumpy sofa where he had slept. No wonder he hadn't been able to roll over on the narrow space. "I'm off duty today, why are ya waking me up this early?"

Byakuya's peeved expression didn't change, if anything it grew more adamant and Renji sighed and rolled of the sofa. Apparently Byakuya wouldn't let him sleep in regardless if he was an adult or a kid. Sneaky little bastard.

"Fine. Breakfast. I get it."

Once he had finished his breakfast Renji leaned back in his seat by the kitchen table and regarded the dark haired young man across from him. Byakuya was still eating in that slow, dignified manner that Renji could never hope to imitate. It was another one of those things that didn't seem to have changed about his captain. Up until that moment his mind had been filled with so many other thoughts, but now the words that Unohana-taichou had said to him the day prior was coming back to haunt him.

The truth.

Byakuya had to know, there was no way to keep the truth hidden from him after all, and perhaps the sooner he found out the better. But why the heck did he have to be the one to tell him? Wouldn't it be better if one of the captains, like Ukitake or Unohana, someone he actually respected, told him of what had happened?

What was he supposed to say? To do? How would the brat react and…?

"Haven't anyone ever told you that it's a grave impoliteness to stare at someone whilst they eat, baboon?" Byakuya's voice cut through his thoughts, and the boy gave him an even stare back.

Back to the name calling, eh? Renji scoffed and instantly recalled why he had reoccurring fantasies of stuffing the brat's head into the toilet. Biting his tongue discreetly he reminded himself that starting up a fight now was not part of the plan. He had something to tell the brat, and he had to consider the best way to break it to him.

"When is my grandfather to return?"

Renji frowned. How was he supposed to come up with a plan with the annoying wraith constantly interrupting his thoughts? His grandfather was dead now… something the hell-raiser obviously didn't know, how was he supposed to tell him about that? Something told him that he should try to break the news gently, and…

"If you are his second in command you ought to know."

Right. Another not so subtle gibe at his expense, but Renji ignored it again and tried to come up with a plan. How was he supposed to say this, Renji wondered and felt trapped. It had to be said, right?

"It's also impolite not to answer when someone asks you a question."

Renji sighed, and leaned forward in his seat.

"Byakuya we need to talk."

Damn, had he just said that? That was the kind of thing you told someone when you wanted to break up with them.

"Do not think that it's acceptable for someone like you to address me in such an informal manner, baboon."

Renji bit his tongue again, and drew a deep breath. He's just a kid, just a snotty kid, he reminded himself. Stick with the plan. Don't let him get to you.

"Look. Could we stop the name calling for a sec? This is important."

"If you addressed me according to my status, I wouldn't have to remind you that…"

"Hey, would ya just shut up?" Renji growled and shot to his feet. "I'm sick of hearing about your damned status. I've got something to say, dammit! So just shut yer trap and listen!"

"As if anything but foul grunts could come out of your mouth, baboon!" the boy snapped back and got to his feet as well, an angry flush on his cheeks. "If my grandfather knew…"

"Yer grandfather's dead, dammit!" he shouted back, and instantly regretted it.

Byakuya's eyes widened, and his face suddenly looked whiter than it already was, as if all blood had drained away from the skin. For a second he thought that the boy would collapse from blood loss, and he reached for him but when he did so Byakuya moved away from his hand. Still looking Renji in the eye he straightened his back stiffly, seemed to take a breath and then he left the kitchen without so much as a word. Renji was left feeling like the biggest ass this side of Seireitei. Damn, he cussed to himself and slumped down in his chair with a groan of dismay, that didn't go the way he had planned.

* * *

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Impertinent little brat

Chapter 5: Flight

* * *

Fuck.

It was really the only one thought that stood out clearly in his mind whilst all of the other thoughts whirled around like a tornado in his skull. A one syllable word that in its profound profanity summed up the enormity of the situation that he had caused.

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Renji groaned and slammed his forehead against the surface of the kitchen table. It really didn't hurt enough to relieve him of his guilt, if anything it made him feel worse.

"Fuck…" he muttered, still with his forehead heavily supported against the table. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He should talk to the brat… no, not the brat, he should speak to Byakuya, he corrected himself. After how he had acted it felt wrong to continue to even think about the kid as a brat, or any other of those less than tender nicknames he had held in store for him. Byakuya's wide eyed, blank face when he had yelled at him, flashed in his mind. The silent shock, and the pale horror he had seen in those eyes at that moment made Renji wish for a sledgehammer so he could just bash his own, thick head in and be done with it. With a loud sigh he sat back up straight on his chair and leaned his head back, staring at the kitchen's white ceiling as if he was hoping that it somehow held some answers. Some damned guidance for what to do.

He had hurt him; Renji thought and felt the hot sting of shame in his gut. He hadn't meant to, but he had, and all just because he had lost his goddamned temper. He had to talk to him. Explain everything.

But how?

After what he had said, what could he possibly say that would make anything better? Byakuya's granddad would still be dead, Byakuya would still be a kid, and they would still not know how the heck to fix any of it. What was he supposed to say? _"Hey, it's no big deal, the geezer died years ago…"_ and _"Oh, yeah… didn't I tell you? You're actually a grown man, you're just a kid at the moment… we don't really know why but it may have something to do with the traitor Aizen wanting to kill you… "_ and while he was at it he might as well add _"Oh, and by the way, your future- well past- wife is gonna die… isn't that something to look forward to?"_

Fuck.

Renji hung his head, suddenly feeling extremely tired, as if the situation itself had drained him of all energy. Even so he knew that if he went to bed there was no way in hell he'd be able to sleep, especially since it was still morning. He had to talk to Byakuya, for both the kid's sake and his own.

Pushing himself up from the chair he slowly made his way out of the kitchen to the bedroom where he stopped. Taking a deep breath he steeled himself and knocked on the door.

There was no answer, not that he had been expecting one.

He cleared his throat and took another deep breath; "Byakuya… Uhm… Can ya open the door? I need to talk to ya."

There was a soft sound from the other side of the door, and he pricked his ears and leaned forward, but the sound didn't repeat itself.

"Hey, kid. I didn't mean what I say, I…" Renji trailed off and halted. He had meant what he had said, he corrected himself. He just hadn't meant to say it that way. "I'm not gonna lie to ya, ok? What I said 'bout yer granddad is true, but…"

But what?

Renji shook his head, and felt the need to bang it against something hard again. He wasn't making anything better like this, and he couldn't talk to the kid with a door separating them. He needed to see him; he needed to be able to look at him and… just talk to him.

"Hey, I'm gonna open the door alright? And then I'll explain stuff to ya."

Not hearing a response from the other side of the door he waited only for another moment before opening the door and peering inside. A cool breeze caressed his face as he opened the door, and Renji frowned. That couldn't be good.

"Byakuya?" he muttered, before opening the door wide and stepping into the room, and the moment he did he saw that which he had hoped that he wouldn't. An opened window, and an empty room.

"Crap…"

* * *

"What the hell, Renji?" Ichigo muttered as he was hauled out of the seedy bar in Rukongai where he been trying to dig up some information about what may have happened to Byakuya. Though to Renji it had looked more like he had been sampling some sake than doing some actual detective work. "What's up with you?" Ichigo frowned when Renji pulled him into a dusty alley and away from prying eyes. "What the heck are you doing here anyway? Weren't you supposed to babysit the brat from hell?"

"Shut up, Ichigo," Renji snapped back, looking around suspiciously to check so they weren't being overheard. "Don't call him that." After how he had acted he felt a sharp sting of shame mixed anger towards his friend for calling Byakuya that. Even if he himself had called him that and worse earlier.

"Heh," Ichigo smirked at him. "Sticking up for him now, Renji? You getting a soft spot for him of something?"

Renji's eyes darted back towards Ichigo's grinning face and he glared.

"Or a hard spot?" the other redhead added, his grin widening. Renji growled and fought the urge to just draw Zabimaru and attack his friend. The damn idiot thought he was being funny. Not for the first time since deciding to go get help from Ichigo did he hate the fact that he had little choice. If he went to Rukia she'd be upset, and if those damn Kuchiki-clan members caught a sniff of something juicy he had no doubt that they'd stop at no means to figure out what it was. And going to the captains… well he'd do that if he couldn't find the cap'n soon, but he'd rather not have to go through that. And he couldn't go to Yamamoto. How would he explain to the commander that he'd lost one of his captains?

Gritting his teeth, he reminded himself that he had more important things to do, other than murdering his not-so-funny friend.

"Hey, where is he anyway?" Ichigo asked, frowning and looking around. "You lost him or something?"

Renji opened his mouth to tell him to shut up again, but instead felt the words die on his tongue. The substitute-shinigami had hit the nail on the head with the same fierce accuracy that he used against hollows in battle.

A look of astonishment dawned on Ichigo's face, and he exclaimed; "You _lost_ him?"

Renji flushed darkly, and looked away. "Yeah. Well he ran away."

Ichigo shook his head. "Man, you're a crappy babysitter. I'm never gonna hire you when I get kids."

Renji huffed with indignation and felt a burning need to defend himself. "He knows shunpo."

"And you don't?"

"I'm not as quick as him, and… and he ran off when I was knocking on the door tryin' to apologise. He got a head start, alright?"

Ichigo looked at him doubtfully, and then asked: "What the hell did you do to make him lock himself into a room? Break one of his nails?"

"No!" Renji exclaimed, affronted, and glared at his friend.

"Yeah? So what did you do?"

"What the heck does it matter?" he snapped. He really didn't want to tell his friend what he had done; it was so damn… awful that he felt guilt rising up in him at the mere memory. "We still need to find him and…"

"What did you do?" Ichigo asked again, obviously not going to drop the subject. As Renji struggled to find a good way to admit to the truth the other redhead's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Renji sighed, hanging his head. He had to tell the bastard; Ichigo wasn't gonna drop it. He was like a bloodhound when he had caught scent of a prey and he didn't have the time to tip toe his way around it. They had to find his cap'n before someone else did it. He may as well be blunt about it. Treat it as a bandage; rip it off quick and… whatever.

"I told him that his granddad was dead."

"So?"

Renji looked up sharply. "What do ya mean "so"? I just told him that his granddad was dead, and I didn't explain anything!"

"You didn't tell him about the rest?"

"I just told ya that, didn't I, moron?"

"Man…That's harsh."

"I know that! Look I wasn't trying to screw it all up, ya know. He just got me so damn mad that I lost my temper, and…" Renji threw out his arm in an angry gesture.

It was silent in the alley for a moment, where Renji was trying to calm himself down, and Ichigo was breaking down the situation, before Ichigo shook head roughly.

"Screw it," he muttered. "Let's go find him before he gets himself killed or something."

"Yeah…" Renji muttered.

"So… you go west, and I go east. Let's meet up at your place in a few hours. "

Renji nodded. " I don't think he'd go into Rukongai, so let's start by looking in Seireitei, alright? Ya know, if we don't find him quickly I gotta go to Yamamoto-taichou and tell him about it. Let's search for a couple of hours by ourselves, and if we haven't found him then I gotta go get backup. "

"Right." Ichigo nodded, and turned to go. "See you later."

Renji grunted in response, and turned to walk the other way when he heard Ichigo call back to him; "Hey, Renji."

"Yeah?" he asked, looking back over his shoulder.

Ichigo gave him a crooked smirk. "Rukia's gonna kill you."

* * *

Rukia felt like banging her head against something hard, or better yet, to bang Akane's pretty, painted face against something hard. She had been sitting across from the woman for the past two hours, and still the woman showed no sign of ceasing with her not so subtle taunts. For what felt like the thousandth time Rukia forced herself to relax, ignore and try to side step the insistent questions about her brother that the woman kept weaving into the mix of mockery.

Frowning Rukia took another sip of her tea. The woman really did seem much too interested in her brother's whereabouts. Could she know something? Or suspect something?

"…of course you'd know more about that seeing as that's from whence you once came."

"Rukongai is a large place, Akane-sama. I have no knowledge of who those thugs might have been. " Rukia responded, only half listening to Akane's complaint of how rough and uncultured the people of Rukongai had to be to dare not to bow down before her brother when he had visited one of the many areas of Rukongai.

"They're all the same are they not, Rukia?" Akane said, a pouty smirk on her lips. Clearly she was content to have slipped in that minor insult of how Rukia was indeed still a street rat in her eyes. Perhaps a street rat dressed in the finest silks available and with the heavy Kuchiki name attached to it, but still a street rat. "Rough, crude and lacking of manners. They are in many ways no more than animals."

"They're individuals just as you and me, Akane-sama," Rukia ground out, sending a glare towards the woman before putting down the teacup with a slightly shaking hand. It took all of her willpower not to slam it against the table.

Akane's pouty smile wavered, if only for a second, before it returned full force.

"Of course," she agreed, taking a sip of her own tea. "Just like you."

* * *

Dammit! Renji cussed, wanting to scream in frustration as he raced across the rooftops of Seireitei towards his apartment. He couldn't find him! And soon it would be getting dark. He'd searched for the entire day, turned every damned stone in Seireitei, but there was still no sign of Byakuya. Damn that brat! Where the hell had he gone? What if something happened to him? He may be his captain, strong and capable Byakuya Kuchiki, but now he was just a kid, and…

"Oi! Renji!"

Renji came to a halt, and whirled around towards the voice. There below him stood Ichigo, waving up at him from outside of… his apartment. Blushing he realised that he had been so caught up in his hunt for the br… Byakuya that he had actually ran past his own apartment.

"Oh, man…" he muttered, and jumped down to where his friend was standing. The second he touched ground next to Ichigo he looked around fervently, hoping to catch sight of the elusive dark-haired young man that was missing. "Have ya found him?"

"Nope," Ichigo said nonchalantly, and Renji sighed in disappointment. "But I know where he is."

Renji's head shot up. "What? Where? How do ya know?"

Without a word Ichigo held up a note in front of Renji's face, and the redhead snatched it out of his grip to read the note.

"Oh…" he muttered.

* * *

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Impertinent little brat

Chapter 6: Elusive brat and dirty books

* * *

Juushiro Ukitake leaned back in his seat; carefully balancing the book he was reading on his knee as he manoeuvred the cup of hot tea just as carefully lest he'd spill it. Once he had set the cup down on the table he relaxed and began reading where he had last left of.

"…_A scratch for a biological itch. But as he watched Susan, he realised that he didn't want to walk out of her life. He wanted to spend more days with her like this. __Wanted to know everything about her._

_Susan paused as she caught Ravyn's hooded gaze. There was something so tender in his expression that it actually made her breath catch. He looked so good lying on the bed, his prone body just waiting for her._

_Pulling back, she ignored her stuffy, itchy nose and gave one long, wicked lick from the base of his cock…"_

Juushiro gave a startled yelp, blinked and reread the last paragraph of the sentence, convinced that his eyes were playing tricks on him, but the words were as he had read them. Clearing his throat he felt a blush rise on his cheeks, and he instinctually threw a somewhat haunted look around the room, as if expecting someone to stand there, ready to tease him reading such a book.

The room was empty though so he looked down on the book again.

"Shunsui…" he muttered, shaking his head and trying to decipher whether he was affronted or amused by the fact that his old friend apparently though such a book was something he needed. Or wanted.

Chuckling he opted for being amused, and took a sip of his tea, nearly choking on it when there was a hurried knock on the door.

Coughing he hurriedly hid the book underneath a pillow and rose to his feet before walking over to the door. Opening it he found a haunted looking Renji, with his usually unruly red hair in wild disarray, and a somewhat bored looking substitute shinigami standing on his porch. On the horizon the sun had just began to set.

"Is he here?" Renji asked the second the door opened and nearly ran over him in his hurry to enter his apartment.

"He is, Abarai-fukutaichou," Juushiro answered, knowing of whom the man was talking. "And he is in good health, sleeping in my bedroom. Please do not wake him."

Turning around the haunted look on the redhead's face softened into one of regret and guilt. Bowing to Juushiro he said: "I'm sorry, Ukitake-taichou. I have not performed my duties as required."

The elder shinigami regarded the fukutaichou in silence for a moment, before turning his head towards Ichigo. He smiled.

"Could I ask you to leave us alone for a while, Kurosaki? I'd like to speak to Abarai-fukutaichou in private for a moment."

"Sure, whatever. See you guys later." Ichigo said with a shrug, holding up a hand in a lazy wave as he left.

Looking back at the still bowed head of Abarai, Juushiro sighed softly.

"Please sit down, Abarai-fukutaichou. I believe there are things that we need to discuss."

"Hai, Ukitake-taichou," Renji nodded slowly, a heavy air of guilt evident in his very body language. Somewhat awkwardly he seated himself on the sofa, with his back straight and tense as if expecting to be beheaded.

The captain shook his head slowly, a small smile tugging at his lips as he sat down next to the other man.

"There's no need to be so tense, Abarai-fukutaichou. I'm not angry with you."

The redhead's head snapped up, looking at him doubtfully. "Why not? I failed. I screwed everything up, Ukitake-taichou. I lost him, and anything could've happened if…"

"But it didn't. He is safe and sound, although admittedly quite cross with you for not telling him the truth from the beginning."

Renji's eyes widened. "Ya… ya told him?" he stammered.

"I did. It seemed to be the only manner in which to keep him from going to the Kuchiki household to investigate the matter himself. I learned a long time ago that the best way to handle your captain is to be blunt and honest, even if he may not enjoy it. Now tell me, why didn't you tell him about the situation sooner, Unohana-san did say it was alright did she not? "

"I… I couldn't… I didn't know how to… ya know…"

"You didn't want to hurt him." Juushiro finished for him. The elder shinigami nodded his head. He could understand the redhead's hesitation.

"Yeah… I guess… but I ended up making everything worse."

"Perhaps. But Byakuya is strong, as his upbringing has demanded of him. He knows how to… what is it that you youngsters call it? "Roll with the punches"? Don't misunderstand. He will mourn his grandfather, as he should, but in the end I believe he will be fine."

"Oh… that's great… I guess I'll go back home then," Renji said and stood up to move towards the door.

"Home? Without your charge?" Juushiro asked, although not surprised since he had an inkling as to where the redhead's thought may have wandered.

"Well yeah…" the lieutenant said, sounding both surprised and wary in the same breath. As if he was expecting to be demoted to a janitor. "...I screwed up right? I thought it'd be better if he stayed with ya here, I mean he wouldn't run away from ya right? And when Yamamoto-taichou finds out he…"

"Why would he? I wouldn't tell him about this minor episode." Juushiro interrupted, again picking up his cup to take a sip. His eyes were drawn towards the pillow where he had hidden the book, just trying to discreetly check so it was still well hidden from view.

"Ya.. ya wouldn't? But…"

Juushiro couldn't help but laugh at the puzzled look on Renji's face, and when the redhead's face grew even more confused he explained. "I did use to be his sempai, and I can't count the times he'd disappear on me for various reasons, usually because he suspected that I'd set him to do chores which he found boring. Or rather to be "mind numbing activities better suited for cretins" if I remember his exact words correctly."

Renji laughed a low, somewhat relieved laugh. "Yeah, that sounds like him alright. "

"I once had to carry him over my shoulder to get him to go into the kitchen to help cleaning dishes," Juushiro recalled wistfully and chuckled at the memory of carrying the loudly protesting Kuchiki heir through the busy streets of Seireitei. "And Kaien's shunpo certainly improved greatly during those times I was too sickly to track your captain down myself. He called it 'Brat-hunting', you know. I think he kept scores of the times he managed to catch him."

The lieutenant grinned and seemed to relax.

"You need to understand that Byakuya is rather different now from when he is…his other self. The person that you know as Byakuya Kuchiki is not like Byakuya Kuchiki at all; in many ways I believe that they're completely different people." Juushiro said, not without sadness. It was a thought that he had never voiced, although it had remained in the back of his mind for a long time now; and somehow to say it out loud made it seem much more real. He had missed that obstinate brat, and meeting him now brought him sadness as well as joy. Neither of which he could explain properly. A longing for something lost perhaps.

"What do ya mean, captain?" Abarai asked, awkwardly sitting back down on the sofa, eyeing him warily as if not certain of what to do.

Juushiro shook his head slowly. "Nothing perhaps. I am not certain. Perhaps, just sometimes I miss him like this, before the burden of being the head of house and all of the responsibilities that came with it forced him to… shed the person that he was, to become who he is. Or was now, I suppose."

"Yeah, he's changed a lot…" Renji agreed warily, as if not sure of what else to say.

"That he has." Juushiro nodded with a small sigh and leaned back in the sofa, suddenly feeling tired.

* * *

"Quite cross my ass…" Renji muttered, when he came face to face with the peeved brat that had been his captain just days prior. The brat was beyond quite cross, judging from the look he was nailing Renji with he was actually quite furious.

"Your behind is not something I wish to discuss first thing in the morning," the brat instantly shot back, flicking back his dark hair nonchalantly and looking away as if Renji wasn't even worthy of his attention.

Renji bit his tongue. Last night he had promised himself to take it easier on the brat. He had even vowed to stop calling him names and to just try to get along with him for once. Face to face with him it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his temper in check.

Still he had expected the kid to at least show signs of being depressed over the news of his granddad being dead, but even looking closely he couldn't see any such signs. Perhaps Byakuya was just hiding it, or…

"Cease looking at me with such a pinched face, you look like a baboon that has swallowed a citrus," Byakuya said, shooting him an annoyed look.

"Yeah? How do ya know what a baboon swallowing a citrus looks like?" Renji asked, feeling pleased since he used the brat's words against him instead of giving into his instincts. Which were more along the line of hitting the kid over the head.

"I'm looking at one right now," Byakuya replied softly, and brushed past him out of Ukitake-taichou's bedroom. Renji drew a deep breath, forcing himself to relax.

Be glad that he's safe, he told himself. Remember how you felt when you thought that you couldn't track him down? Pretty horrible, right? …right…?

He was beginning to think he must have been insane to have been so worried over that brat. No sane person would even think about going near that hell raiser when he was in a prissy mood.

When he entered the living room, where he had spent the night on the couch after assuring the captain that it was alright for him to sleep there while the captain took the guestroom, Byakuya and Ukitake-taichou were involved in a low key discussion. When they noticed his presence they both quieted and the hand that Ukitake had placed on Byakuya's narrow shoulder fell down to his side.

"Sorry," Renji mumbled feeling a bit embarrassed. "Didn't mean to interrupt or anything."

The younger shinigami merely sniffed and turned his back on him, while Juushiro smiled.

"It's just fine, Abarai-fukutaichou. It wasn't anything of mayor importance."

"Well, I guess we should get going then," Renji nodded, stepping into the room. At the same time the brat pointedly turned and left through the front door, leaving the two men alone.

There was an awkward silence between them, before Renji politely bowed his head.

"Thanks, Ukitake-taichou," he said simply, meaning every word.

"Oh, it was my pleasure." The captain smiled, but when Renji walked past him he was halted by a gentle hand on his shoulder. "But please don't loose track of him again."

Renji nodded, promising himself not to do so either.

"Hey, by the way, Ukitake-taichou, I put yer book back on the bookshelf last night." Renji said before closing the door behind him. Before it closed completely he was granted with a look of absolute horror on the captain's face. It was further magnified with an obvious blush rising across the pale face.

Renji chuckled. Who would've thought that Ukitake-taichou of all people had a book like that in his house? The more you know…

"Stop that infuriating noise, it's distracting."

The clipped tone of the brat quickly brought him back to reality, and he stopped chuckling.

"Distracting from what? There's nothing here." He snapped back, glaring at Byakuya standing a few feet away from him in front of the captain's quarters of the thirteenth division.

Really there wasn't much around other than a small park where some of the division's members were lounging, and a pond.

Instead of responding with words the kid sent him a withering glare and abruptly turned his back on him, before starting to walk away. Sighing heavily Renji trudged after him, hoping against all odds that the brat wouldn't push him into doing something he'd regret. Just keep it cool, Renji, he reminded himself. And gritting his teeth he glared daggers at the back of the kid's thin neck.

"…to do? What if…?" he heard voices approaching and looked past the kid just as Kiyone and Sentarou came around the corner. As usual they were in the midst of an argument and neither of them noticed him or Byakuya straight away.

"Hey, Kiyone. Sentarou." Renji greeted them and was surprised when the two yelped and turned their heads to stare at him and Byakuya with wide eyes. "Er… you guys alright?"

"Oh… yeah…er… it's nothing. We just…" Sentarou trailed off, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Yeah…" Kiyone agreed, looking away.

"Alright." Renji said, looking between the two shinigami. Was there something going on between them or what? Heh, he knew they said that love always starts with arguments but come on if that was true he and Byakuya would be married by now. Shaking his head he motioned for Byakuya to follow him and moved past them. "Well, we best be off. See ya."

* * *

The moon was almost full, and thus sent a pale, silvery glow over Seireitei, outlining the rooftops against the darkness of night. Yet he could not settle down, not with the thoughts running amok in his head. There were so many of them, all bringing about an array of emotions that he felt almost alienated from, as if they didn't truly belong to him at all.

Ukitake-san had said that he might experience something like this after that first onslaught of raw emotions that that baboon's heated confession had caused. He had called it a state of shock, but Byakuya had a hard time to accept that notion.

It made him feel weak, to admit that he could experience such a ridiculous, mundane thing. He should be stronger than that. He had to be stronger than that.

There were no room for weaklings in his house, he knew that. Those who were weak would be chewed up alive in such a place where family was your greatest enemy rather than your closest confidents.

It was raw luck that Ukitake-san had found him before he had run to his household to demand answers. In this form, if what Ukitake had said was the truth, and his family realised that he was now who he once had been, rather than who he ought to be, he had little doubt that he'd loose all of that which he had achieved. Or was it what he was still to achieve?

Byakuya groaned and rubbed his temples, only half hearing the noise of the baboon rummaging through the kitchen while he tried to cook them something worthwhile to eat. For some reason the noises actually calmed him somewhat, though he couldn't pin point the reason why.

Just the distant presence of another being close by felt comforting, even if it was that fool of a lieutenant. Why in the world would he have opted to promote someone like that anyway? The man was a brute. His future self must have gone mad.

Still there was something about that idiot that felt… safe. As if he could trust him to always stick around, to catch him when he fell. Byakuya had no idea where that idea came from. Perhaps it was a reminiscence of who he had been; or who he would become? Whichever it was. The man was like… a guard dog. He had been upset when he had disappeared, Byakuya knew, and when he had accidentally made him fall the other night the man had seemed horrified.

He had tried to apologise, in his own clumsy manner, and Byakuya had felt belittled by that fact. As if he couldn't care for himself! He, a man who would rise to be the head of the Kuchiki clan, out done by a simple fall? He didn't need to be handled like a fragile doll. Still it had felt… good, somehow to know that the man hadn't really meant to harm him.

Not that he had been harmed of course.

Perhaps that was why he felt that odd trust? The honesty the man radiated like a beacon, it was unlike anything he had ever encountered. Except from Ukitake-san. Even his own grandfather had had an air of old lies wrapped around him, and the rest of the clan members reeked of it. They wore their lies and schemes like a second skin, whereas Renji would look naked next to them.

Byakuya blushed at that particular thought, as the image of a naked Renji flashed in his mind. Then he smiled when the image broadened into his own family standing there in their finely cut and fashioned clothes, and in the middle of them a naked, mortified redheaded fool.

A soft laugh rang through the room, and it took him a second to realise that it came from his own mouth.

A knock on the door dragged him out of his thoughts, and he looked away from the window.

"Byakuya?" the baboon's voice called out from the other side of the door, and Byakuya smirked before he reminded himself that he was supposed to be angry with the brute.

Drawing a deep breath of air he collected himself, and wiped the smirk from his features with practiced efficiency that would've made his grandfather proud.

He felt a sharp sting of pain at the random thought of his grandfather, when he remembered that the man was gone now, and it made it easier to school his features into a frown. His grandfather, he thought as he approached the door, had been the only one of his family that he had ever thought of as family after his parents had died. The only one to protect him, to talk to him without malice or without having an ulterior motive, and now he was gone.

The sting of pain sharpened, and burned into him.

By the time he had reached the door and opened it he didn't feel any inclination to laugh.

"What do you want, baboon?" he asked, tilting his head and piercing his opponent with his gaze.

With some satisfaction he noticed that the ice in his voice and gaze caused the baboon to halt, and the man took a hurried step back.

"Food. There's food," he stammered, still looking taken aback.

"If that is what you insist on calling it." Byakuya replied icily, and brushed past the man.

He could almost hear the fool grinding his teeth behind him. Honest, raw annoyance. He wondered how long it'd take for him to bring the man to the brink of frustrated rage. It really was so easy to annoy him, and for some reason he felt the need to do so whenever he laid eyes on him.

* * *

She had found them in one of the many guestrooms of the Kuchiki house, and had managed to find a place to listen and watch them in silence while they talked. Hidden behind an ajar door she felt relatively confident that the twins wouldn't be able to sense her presence.

Of course they hadn't talked much yet, and Rukia was beginning to feel her muscle cramp up from hiding for so long. She was starting to consider just going back to her room and get to bed, when Akane spoke.

The voice broke the silence like a razorblade, and she nearly jumped at the sudden sound.

"There's certainly something going on, brother," Akane was saying, lazily lounging in a very un-lady like and very un-Kuchiki like manner, against the brightly coloured pillows. In one hand she was balancing a glass of something that looked like water, but that Rukia was certain was not plain water. "That little street rat, so called sister of our dear cousin, is being obvious when she's trying to be vague about what she knows. We both know that means that she knows something."

"Indeed, sister." A low, deeper voice answered as Akihiko Kuchiki stepped into view. It was the first time in many years that Rukia saw him close up, and as always she was struck by the likeliness between the twins.

They had the same dark hair, the same delicate features and the same oddly coloured eyes. Grey and green, depending on the light. And both of them bore a striking resemblance to her brother in their lean proud manner. Of course they were nothing like her brother, whereas Byakuya could be cold and distant, these two were… slippery. Like a couple of snakes, she thought and recalled when Ishida had told her of a myth where there had been a snake in a beautiful garden. If she remembered correctly that snake had been the downfall of humanity, condemning them to mortality. She hadn't really paid close attention, and couldn't remember the details but that was those two reminded her of. She'd felt the same way about Ichimaru Gin.

As she watched Akihiko sat down across from his sister, picking up another glass and taking a light sip. "Now all we need to find out is exactly what she knows."

Akane grunted. "I certainly don't feel up to it. I've already spent much too much time with that rat. I think I can still feel the stench on me. I shall leave that particular pleasure to you."

Akihiko laughed a soft rumbling sound. "In that case it will be my pleasure."

Rukia's breath caught in her throat, and a wave of dread ran through her. It wasn't just the words he had said. It was the way he had said them; filled with a promise.

* * *

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Impertinent Little Brat

Chapter 7: Sweet oblivion

* * *

The sky was light blue and clear above their heads, and the whether warm and pleasant whilst they rode at walking pace across the hills. It wasn't often that Rukia had the opportunity to ride, and she didn't really care for it. As a shinigami she usually just flashstepped when she was in a hurry. But that morning Akihiko had asked her to join him, and after the conversation she had managed to overhear the night before she had agreed.

Glancing sideways at the man riding beside her she studied his delicate face, wondering what sort of schemes he was weaving at that very moment. _"In that case it will be my pleasure…" _the words he had uttered the night before rang through her mind, and again she shuddered involuntarily.

It was because of those words that she had come along on the ride with him, because although the words made her feel fearful they also made it clear that the man was going to pursue her company no matter what. And since he was obviously set on getting information out of her, she had thought that perhaps she could return the favour.

But so far he had hardly spoken to her at all.

She had an advantage at least, since she knew about his plans, and Akihiko, despite all of his finesse and grace, thought of her as nothing more than an illiterate gutter rat. He'd never think that she'd be scheming right along with him.

It brought her mind to her other questions such as; what information was it that he thought that he could pry out of her?

The most obvious assumption would be that he and his sister were the ones behind what happened to Nii-sama; they had the most to gain from him being made vulnerable after all. Once, not long after her near-execution, her brother and she had been sitting in one of the many salons in the Kuchiki house. It had been evening she recalled, and a warm breeze had blown in from the open windows.

For some reason she couldn't remember she had asked about the twins.

Byakuya had not answered her at first, merely looking out of the window thoughtfully while he sipped his tea. When she had nearly given up hope of receiving an answer he had raised his deep voice and spoken.

"It was a bitter miscalculation on my grandfather's part that set it all into motion. He made the mistake of thinking that it would be satisfactory for him to have more than one child. I presume he had hopes and trust that things would remain steady within the clan despite this."

She remembered that a small, somehow bitter smile had touched his moonlit features then, and she had been surprised as her brother so rarely smiled. Even in bitterness.

Not wanting to disturb the gentle air of trust that had risen between them she had not spoken but had only waited for him to continue.

"Of course when the time came my cousin did not prove to be quite so gracious. In the end he had little other choice than to watch me gain the title. My marriage to your sister only cemented his failure to gain the title for himself."

He had paused then, and had frowned as if an unbidden thought had forced itself into his mind. She remembered wondering if it had something to do with her sister. At the time she had been nearly certain of it, but now she wasn't so sure anymore. She knew there were many things that her brother didn't share with her, either because he simply wasn't much for sharing or because he wanted her to remain away from the scheming inner core of the Kuchiki household.

"When my parents died I was still very young. My cousin asked my grandfather to "spare" me the grave responsibilities of becoming the heir at such a young age. He said that it would be better if he, as he was the elder male, took on the burden. My grandfather refused naturally. "

Again that small smile had tugged on his lips, a smile somewhere between bitterness and fondness.

Perhaps, she thought now, he would have been happier to not have to be the head of house? She would never have thought such a thing previously, but after meeting her brother as he had once been she couldn't help but think that perhaps he would've been happier had his grandfather granted Akihiko to have become heir in Byakuya's stead. He had changed so much from whom he had been; a child that somewhat reminded her of Renji in some ways; prone to anger when crossed, but with a stubborn, unrelenting core.

"Do you know what my name means, Rukia?" she remembered the question her brother had asked her because it had caught her off guard. It had seemed so random.

"No." she had admitted.

"It means white." Her brother had answered, glancing her way. "It's a rather unassuming and simple name in many ways. My uncle, a man we do not speak of by name, may have had greater plans for his children as Akihiko holds the meaning Bright prince. "

He hadn't said anything more after that, but she had caught the drift. What he had really meant was _'My uncle had planned for his children to gain the title, and his children continue the saga.'_ It had been a warning to be wary of them, and she had been ever since. Not that she had been on particularly good terms with either one of them before either.

"Rukia-chan."

Looking towards the voice she saw Akihiko looking at her. She scolded her features, not wanting to give any of her thoughts away to the man. She wasn't certain how well she achieved it; she had never been too good at hiding her emotions. How her brother managed to suppress his so entirely she'd never understand.

"Yes, Akihiko-sama?" she replied, and was relieved to find that her voice didn't shake despite her inner turmoil.

"Is there something troubling you? You look rather deep in thought." The man asked casually, even managing to sneak in a lustre of concern in his tone.

"It's nothing, Akihiko-sama, just some Gotei business."

"Ah, of course." The man nodded, giving her a gentle and understanding look. "There must be much to do after the last incident."

Rukia hoped that he didn't notice her nervousness, or the way her hands tightened on the reins of the horse at that. In her chest her heart felt like it was trying to break out. "Which incident are you referring to, Akihiko-sama?"

"Why the whole incident with that captain Aizen of course. It is not everyday that one captain betrays Seireitei, let alone thee at the same time. And in such a horrid manner too."

He sounded truthfully appalled.

Rukia nodded. "It has been difficult, but the Gotei will manage, Akihiko-sama. We will bring the traitors back to face their rightful punishment."

"I do hope so. From what I have heard that new hollow kin can be quite a handful. It would not do to have them destroy Seireitei. What were they called again?"

"Arrancar, Akihiko-sama."

"Really? I was sure I was thinking of another name, but I cannot for the life of me recall what it may have been." The pretty man thought out loud, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Espada?"

"Indeed. That was it. Is there a difference?" he looked at her expectantly, like a curious child. It was rather cute, she thought before she caught herself. It wasn't cute. The man was a viper, despite his seemingly innocent questions there were more behind it. He wouldn't be talking to her so casually if he wasn't trying to… catch her off guard, or gain her trust. Whichever came first no doubt.

"Rukia-chan?"

"Yes," she pushed her thoughts out of the way for the time being, and answered curtly. "The arrancar are a stronger form of an ordinary hollow, and the espada is the name Aizen use for the ten strongest amongst them."

"Interesting. Are they very strong these espada?"

"They are, Akihiko-sama. Few shinigami would be able to stand up to them."

"Well then it is assuring to know that we have our captains. Surely they can stop them if it would come to that."

Rukia could hear a warning bell ringing in her head, the man was fishing for something she was certain. No doubt information about her brother. Deciding to not give him more information than was strictly necessary she answered: "Yes, Akihiko-sama."

"I must admit that some of the fukutaichous behaviour and discipline worries me though, if there are such strong hollows around. I've heard rumours that just yesterday the sixth division's luitenant was running around Seireitei with that ryoka boy. It seems they had lost something. How can you depend on someone like that to defend Seireitei?"

Rukia felt her gut wrench and an icy feeling ran through her when the man's words sunk in, and she had to fight the urge not to shunpo straight to Renji's door. Had that idiot lost her brother?

"Rukia-chan, are you not feeling well? You suddenly look pale." The falsely concerned voice of Akihiko interrupted her thoughts, and she cursed herself for letting her distress show.

"It's nothing, Akihiko-sama," she quickly assured him. "Just the sun and the heat getting the better of me I'm afraid."

"Well then, let us depart. We should get you something to eat and drink," he said, and turned his horse towards the buildings in the valley below. Towards Seireitei.

* * *

"What do ya think I'm made of money?" the baboon exclaimed in frustration, gesturing wildly. Much like the monkey he somewhat resembled.

"I assure you that I think no such thing," Byakuya retorted coldly. "It's fairly obvious that you're not, but if you believe that I will wear _that_ you are sorely mistaken." He pointed at the kimono with a feigned look of distaste that made the saleswoman blush in embarrassment.

"What's wrong with it?" Renji snapped, ending his monkey dance abruptly and glaring at him with red eyes. Who had red eyes anyways? Byakuya wondered. It surely couldn't be normal. Perhaps he was the victim of a disease?

"It's ugly." He replied simply. If he kept this act up much longer he was rather certain that he could make the poor saleswoman cry. For some reason a sting of triumph shot through him at that thought. He felt the need to hurt someone regardless of how childish it may be.

"It's not ugly." The baboon growled, sending an apologetic look at the saleswoman.

"Do you honestly think that I would rather depend on your sense of style than my own two eyes?" Byakuya replied nonchalantly. "That is ugly."

It really wasn't so bad. It was a simple kimono, made of simple wool. Ordinarily he wouldn't much have minded wearing it, but… he felt a stifling need to punish someone – anyone – for the pain he felt in his chest. The mere thought of his grandfather only intensified that urge.

"Hey, listen up, brat." Renji growled at his face, obviously trying to be intimidating and failing miserably. "Ya've already dragged me through half of Seireitei, I'm tired and I'm hungry. Ya will get that damn kimono, or ya can walk around naked!"

"Wouldn't you like that, baboon," he sniffed. "A naked boy to ogle, alone in that box you call a home. Isn't there laws against that sort of disreputable thing?"

If he had thought that the baboon's face was red before it turned practically crimson now, and he smirked inwardly at the way the man's mouth worked up an down like a fish's while he tried to get so much as a simple word out. He was too easy.

"I'm… I'm really not like that…!" Renji eventually managed to choke out, turning to the saleswoman and waving his arms in front of himself in a disarming manner. "He's full of crap, that's all."

The formerly close-to-tears woman gave him a suspicious look, and that was it. Renji grabbed his wrist and forcefully hurried out of the shop.

* * *

That. Little. Shit.

Cusses continued to fall from Renji's lips in an acid stream, and he ran without looking back to check on how well the brat managed to keep up while being dragged along through the streets of Seireitei.

After a few hundred meters he figured it was safe enough to stop and he turned towards the wraith furiously.

"What the hell is wrong with ya?" he nearly screamed in the boy's face, causing a few passer-by's to look at them curiously. He quickly lowered his voice, not really feeling like he needed an audience. "Why the hell did ya say that? Do ya want me to go to jail or something?"

"Can't say I'd mind." The boy snapped back, unfazed by his anger. "I'm sure you'd fit right in, baboon."

Renji frowned. The brat was being unusually difficult, before he had been rude but now it seemed like he genuinely wanted to do anything short of skewering him to actually hurt him. To be sure perhaps he ought to hide the knives in the kitchen when he got back home? He sighed heavily.

"Fine. I'm sorry alright? For everything. I was an ass for not telling ya the truth from the beginning, yeah? And I'm fucking sorry for hurting ya, but I can't change that." Slowly he let go of Byakuya's wrist and the boy let it fall to his side limply. His pale face was a mask now, one that Renji had grown accustomed to seeing on his adult self. Emotionless and blank, as if he was looking straight through him rather than at him. "But I gotta stay with ya, even if ya hate my guts. I gotta protect ya."

He got no answer, only that mask of utter blankness stared back at him. He peered at the boy, trying to see the slightest sign that he had been listening, but saw none. He might as well have been looking at a wall. Renji didn't understand him, how could a person be running hot and cold like that and stay sane? One moment they were arguing, the next it was like talking to a wall. He just didn't get it.

Sighing again he said: "Let's get something to eat, I'm starving."

Receiving no answer he took a few steps away from the boy, looking over his shoulder if Byakuya followed. To both his surprise and relief he did. Apparently not even the master of mood swings could turn down a hardy meal.

He led the brat down the street to a restaurant, which after he had checked the prices, he decided should have something that his charge would approve of and still be within his price range.

The meal was eaten in silence, and Renji didn't really feel like breaking the silence either considering the mood of his charge. Glancing across the table he wondered again about the brat's sudden mood swings. Just a few minutes ago he had seemed ready to have Renji hauled off to prison, but now he sat silently, eating his food in that slow, refined manner that Renji could never hope to copy. His face was smooth, revealing none of the thoughts running through the brat's head, and his eyes seemed distant.

As he watched those pretty, pink lips parted and accepted another bite of food, but the motion seemed mechanic, as if he had no urge to eat at all but only did so because he needed to do something.

He wished that he could ask him what was wrong, but he knew that would gain him nothing but scorn and possibly get them into another fight. Damn him, the redhead thought. Damn his whole clan. What was wrong with these nobles? They never talked about anything, as if the idea of sharing their emotions and doubts with another person was something ugly. No wonder his captain was so damned cold, if this was how he had been taught to behave.

A couple of horses passed not far from where they were sitting, and he looked up curiously since it was a rare sight with horses in Seireitei. Only the wealthy nobles had access to horses after all, and many times they preferred to stay off the streets and kept to themselves. He nearly choked on his food when he saw Rukia sitting on top of one of the horses, and as she turned her head she met his gaze. Her eyes widened, and flickered to her brother sitting across from Renji, and she made a small, hurried sign which could only mean "hide!"

Glancing at the other rider he understood why. The uncanny resemblance between the man on the horse and his captain was unmistakable. The man on the horse halted his horse not far from where they sat, and descended elegantly.

Renji looked around quickly for an escape route, but the only way out of the restaurant was through the front where the man would no doubt see them if they tried to leave. When the man began to walk up to the restaurant Renji cursed his luck.

"Get under the table." He hissed to Byakuya, who hadn't so much as glanced at the horses. Slowly the kid looked up from his meal, eyeing Renji as if he'd gone insane.

"Excuse me?" there was no missing the edge of dry annoyance in that voice.

"Hurry up. It's one of yer relatives, coming this way," he prompted and reached across the table to try to force the brat to move.

With easy elegance Byakuya leaned back in his chair, effectively putting himself out of Renji's reach, while he turned his head and looked in the direction of the horses. The moment his eyes fell on the tall, elegant man coming their way a cold expression settled on his delicate features.

"Come on!" Renji urged, "Hide, dammit."

Byakuya's cold grey eyes turned in his way briefly. "If you believe that I will wallow around on this filthy floor to hide from that traitorous wretch, you're dafter than I first thought, baboon."

"He can't see ya, ya have to hide," Renji snapped. "He's coming this way."

"Don't act like a buffoon. He would never set his foot in this establishment; it's much too common for Akihiko's tastes." Byakuya said nonchalantly, waving away his concerns easily, and discreetly turning his head just enough away from the window to let his dark hair hide his face when Rukia and the tall man passed them.

Renji sat frozen in his seat, tense as a bowstring, and not until they had passed the window did he relax enough to glance their way. Just as Byakuya had said his friend and the man walked past the restaurant, and continued down the street.

He heaved a heavy sigh in relief.

That could've gotten ugly.

He looked over at the kid on the other side of the table. He had set down his food, his slender white hands resting lightly on the tabletop while he gazed off in the direction of where the man had gone. Again that finely crafted mask was back in place and Renji wondered what was running through the kid's mind at that moment. It was obvious that there was no love lost between Byakuya and whoever that relative of his had been.

"So…" he muttered, taking another bite of his own food. "I guess ya know that guy?"

Byakuya didn't answer right away, just continued to look off into the distance. Finally his grey eyes returned to Renji's.

"You shouldn't speak with your mouth full. Haven't anyone ever told you it's rude?"

Renji rolled his eyes; it was obvious that that was the only answer he'd get on the matter. Damn nobles.

"Yer not gonna eat up?" he asked instead, making sure to swallow down his food before speaking.

The boy looked down on his plate, still with that distant look in his eyes. "I'm not hungry."

* * *

Byakuya sat down heavily on the lumpy sofa in the baboon's living room, drawing his knees up so he could rest his forehead against them. The redhead had gone outside to get some groceries, leaving him alone in the apartment. Finally.

For the fist time since that afternoon he felt like he could think. The baboon would always disturb his thoughts whenever he was around, the only refuge he had from him was when he retreated to the bedroom, and even then the redhead would constantly check up on him. Perhaps he thought that he was going to run off again, which wasn't such a bad idea if it hadn't been for the fact that he had nowhere to run to.

Akihiko… he had recognised him of course. He hadn't changed much since last he saw him after all since his cousin was older than him. At the most he may have grown a bit, and possibly his hair were longer than he remembered it.

If he was in the main house his sister was no doubt there too, which meant that if they found out about him being this young they'd stop at nothing to steal his title. Just as they had done to his parents. Obviously, now that his grandfather was gone, he was supposed to be the head of house. Briefly he wondered how old he had been the first time he had been named the head of house. How old had he been when his grandfather had died?

Older than now, that was certain. It seemed to be the only thing he was certain of anymore.

He felt a hard knot in his stomach, as if his insides were trying to strangle themselves, and he gasped for breath. At the same time he felt himself break out in cold sweat, and he shivered with cold even as he felt heat pounding in his head. Struggling to his feet he felt dizzy, and he steadied himself against a wall. He forced himself to draw a breath, then another, and another until he felt the dizziness fade and the knot loosen.

Panting he leaned against the wall heavily, hanging his head so that his hair fell over his face.

He needed something to make him forget, if only for a little while. Anything that could ease this pounding of doubts in his head.

* * *

Renji hurried back to his apartment. He hadn't wanted to leave the brat alone, especially given his odd mood, but he had had to get groceries or else they'd have nothing to eat, and since Byakuya had promptly refused to go along he had eventually decided to try to make it as quick as possible. He had even bought some new tea and bread, which he was planning to make for the brat to see if that might lighten his mood a bit.

Not the best of plans but it was the only thing he had been able to think of. Food always made him feel better.

Entering the apartment he found it silent, and the door to the bedroom was closed. Byakuya had probably gone in there to be alone for a while, and perhaps he should respect that but he felt a need to check up on him.

Setting the groceries down on the kitchen table he walked up to the bedroom, and knocked.

"Byakuya?"

No answer.

He knocked again, and fought down the urge to break down the door. If that brat had run away again…!

"Byakuya!" he called out again, a bit urgently, and when there was no answer he reached out and opened the door.

The room was dark and the curtains drawn, so it took him some time to adjust his eyes. At first glance he was certain that the room was vacant but then he saw a movement in the corner, right beside the window, and he saw the brat sitting there.

"Byakuya?" he mumbled, frowning and slowly approaching the youngster. The boy didn't look up at him; in fact he hardly seemed to be able to hear him, but just sat there with his head down so his hair hid his face from view. "Hey, ya ok?"

The boy stubbornly refused to answer him, merely huddled up in the corner like a caged animal.

Frowning he fell to his knees in front of the brat, and reached out to rouse him, but the boy swatted his hand away. What the heck was up with him now? And then he saw it, the bottle in the boy's hand. He recognised it of course; he had bought the sake after all. Last he saw it; it had been safely tucked away in his kitchen cabinet. Apparently the idiot brat had found it… and had decided to drink it.

He heaved a deep, exasperated sigh.

"Ya shouldn't be drinking this," he muttered, and grabbed a hold of the bottle. Byakuya snarled in response and refused to let go of the bottle that Renji tried to gently dislodge from his fingers. Tugging on the bottle softly, Renji muttered. "Let go."

"You let go." The brat answered stubbornly. "I saw it first."

"The hell ya did. I bought the damn thing, and it's mine. Besides it's not good for kids to drink this stuff, ya know."

"I'm not a… kid." Byakuya replied perpetuity, still not raising his head to look at him.

"Yeah, whatever, it's still not good for ya." He tried again, and snapped the bottle out of the boy's grip. Instantly the boy tried to snatch it back from him and Renji quickly jumped to his feet. "Oh no, ya don't. "

Finally raising his head the boy glared up at him, and perhaps it was his imagination that was playing tricks on him but for a moment Renji thought he could see a glimmer of unshed tears in those usually steely eyes.

"Give it back." The brat demanded angrily, and Renji shook his head.

"Hell no. Ya've gotten enough of this for an evening, kid."

The boy's eyes narrowed dangerously, then he suddenly disappeared, and the next second Renji felt him grab a hold on the bottle. Damn brat! He'd shunpoed in that state?

"Hey!" he protested, trying to tug the bottle away, but finding that the boy's grip wouldn't loosen. "Let go! Ya can't shunpo when yer drunk ya idiot, ya will get sick!"

"Will not." The brat choked out, and struggled to get the bottle back.

"Yeah ya will! I think I know a bit more about that than ya!" he argued back, raising the bottle up until the brat was barely hanging on to it, standing on the tip of his toes.

He wasn't sure but the kid really did look paler than usual, and hoped that he wasn't about to barf all over his bedroom floor. If he did Renji sure as hell wouldn't be the one to wipe it up.

Giving one sharp tug on the bottle, Byakuya's grip slipped off it and he stumbled back and would've fallen had not Renji quickly caught him in his arms. The bottle fell to the floor with a heavy thud, and judging from the soft splash some of the liquor spilled out onto the floor, but Renji ignored it. He had his hands full as it was.

The kid fought against him to get free from the embrace, but Renji held onto him. Even when the brat snarled and tried to punch him, he just ignored it and angrily caught the kid's arms, trapping them against Byakuya's sides with his own arms.

Tight lipped and stubborn he held onto the kid until the slight body in his arms relaxed, panting heavily as his head fell forward heavily, coming to rest on Renji's chest. Looking down on the dark head the redhead hoped it wasn't some sort of late effect on the flashstepping and liquor combo that the kid had pulled, that caused the sudden capitulation. But so far the kid hadn't barfed on him, just continued to pant heavily as if all fight had been drained out of him.

When he felt something hot and wet hit his chest his first thought was that it was barf, but then he realised that if it had been it would've been a whole lot more of it coming. Gazing down at the boy he felt shock. Was the kid crying? Byakuya? Something seemed fundamentally wrong with that. Yet he continued to hold onto the slight form as it trembled in his arms.

"He killed them," the boy murmured against his chest, and drew another shaky breath.

"Who? Who killed who?" Renji asked, gently holding the slim frame against his own, but the boy only shook his head, rubbing his face against Renji's chest as he did so.

"Nothing." It was just a strangled whisper in the dark, but in the silence Renji could hear it clearly. Of course there was something, he wanted to shout. Why the hell else would he get home to find the kid drunk and steadily drinking himself into oblivion? But he bit his tongue and forced himself to relax. There was no use in getting into an argument with him now. It could only end badly.

Instead he slowly reached up and ran his fingers through the soft, black hair of the younger man in what he hoped were a comforting manner. When he felt the other instead tensing up against him he drew back, and tilted the boy's head up so he could meet his gaze.

Those eyes in that pale, beautiful face were so sad, the steely glint softened and forgotten for the moment. The thin marks of tears on the boy's white cheeks glistened in the light from the hallway.

"Alright." He mumbled, and gently wiped away the tear marks with his thumb. "It's alright."

And as he watched a soft sigh escaped the boy's lips, and he relaxed in his arms.

* * *

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Impertinent little brat

Chapter 8: Secrets of the Nobles

* * *

Renji jerked awake when a crash interrupted his sleep. Looking around with bleary eyes he was surprised to be back in his own bed. For a second he wondered about that, as he had been banished from said bed ever since a certain brat had moved in with him, but then he recalled the night prior. He had found Byakuya drunk and upset, for reasons that remained unknown to him. The kid had cried, mumbling something about someone being killed, and Renji hadn't wanted to leave him alone in such a state. He had eventually managed to coax the kid into going to sleep. He must have fallen asleep in the bed with him.

Turning his head he found the kid still sound asleep, pale limbs sprawled out in all directions and with his head buried in the pillows so that only his black hair was visible. For a moment he was certain that whatever that crash had been it must have sounded from outside. Then he caught sight of the alarm clock on the floor. Or rather what was left of his alarm clock.

"Man…" he muttered to himself and crawled out of bed.

The clock had been standing on Byakuya's side of the bed. If that wasn't damning evidence he didn't know what was; he thought in annoyance and lifted his gaze from the pieces of black plastic on the floor to glare at the brat who was sound asleep.

Renji figured that he should probably yell at him for destroying his things, however much hated this particular thing was, but he found himself unable to disturb the brat's slumber. Especially when the brat shifted in his sleep and rolled over on his back. Byakuya's face that had been so sad last night was smooth and relaxed, and Renji found it difficult to bring him out of that small reprieve.

So instead he glanced at his wristwatch and opted for taking a shower and get ready for work. Then he looked back up at the sleeping kid, and he couldn't help but snigger.

He didn't need to yell at him, he decided. The brat was bound to get a hangover of a lifetime, and in all fairness that was enough of a punishment. Suddenly feeling cheerier he quietly walked out of the room.

Sometime later he was standing over the bed again. Predictably he was yet again arguing with the kid. Byakuya didn't even bother to turn over on his back again so that he could look at him. Must be one nasty hangover he was experiencing.

"Come on. Get up." Renji coaxed him again and frowned when he glanced down at his wristwatch. He still had time but if the kid didn't get up soon he'd be late. His cap'n would… oh, right… no he wouldn't. Unless he remembered him being late once he was back to his adult self and still decided to hold it against him. He wouldn't put it past him.

"Leave me be." Byakuya replied, his voice muffled by the pillows.

"Can't leave ya here alone and I gotta get to work. So yer coming with."

He had been expecting some sort of retort to that, but there was none. Renji scoffed and glared at the back of the kid's ruffled, black head.

"Get up."

"No."

"Get. Up."

"No."

Thud.

"How dare you lay a hand on me?" Byakuya snapped, although the snap lacked the icy coating it usually contained. No wonder really, Renji thought, as he watched with some mirth as the brat struggled to get up from the floor. He wasn't very steady on his feet, and he was as white as a hollow in the face.

"I didn't. I pushed yer ass off the bed is all." Renji replied and he had to suppress his smirk. "Not my fault the floor got in the way of yer face."

Byakuya sent him a chilly glare, but from the look on his face he was in no condition to carry on an argument. Not that that had ever stopped him, though when the response came Renji had to admit that it too lacked the usual finesse he'd expect.

"Bastard." Byakuya muttered, brushed past him and stalked into the bathroom in a tightly controlled yet hurried manner that made Renji snicker. The door slammed shut behind the boy. Had Renji known that all it took to get his taichou to surrender an argument was to get him a pain in the ass hangover he'd have dragged him on a binge years ago.

* * *

He was not feeling well, Byakuya thought dimly when he lay on the couch of the office that Renji had dragged him off to that morning. His head felt dull, too big and heavy yet oddly empty. The rest of his anatomy didn't exactly feel too well either. His stomach churned, but he was yet to decide whether he was hungry or not. One minute he felt like he could eat anything in sight, the next the mere thought of food made him want to vomit on the floor. No. Definitely not well, he thought again and shut his eyes in an attempt to keep the sunlight at bay. Not well at all.

This was probably what his grandfather had meant when he told him about the down side of liquor. Of course he had never told him of these exact repercussions, Kuchiki etiquette wouldn't have allowed it. It made him wonder what other small but no doubt important bits of information that hadn't been passed down to him due to etiquette.

What was it they called this? He wondered, feeling his dull brain trying to work out an answer that he knew was stored somewhere in it. There was a word for it, he knew there was, but it eluded him. Mists and smoke; that was his mind at the moment. He did not like this experience on bit.

Ah, he thought just before he felt himself drifting off into sleep again and he smiled with drowsy satisfaction, a hangover…

* * *

Rukia knocked on the door to the office to the 6th division's captain, and when there was no response she frowned. She knew Renji was working today, and she knew that if he was her brother would be there too and she felt an intense urge to check up on him. She hadn't seen him since the meeting the other day, and the insinuations brought forth by Akihiko the other day had caused her to worry.

She couldn't visit her brother outside of the office. She knew that Akihiko and his horrid sister was sensing that something was up, and she didn't want to lead them straight to the source. The only time she knew that there was little chance of them finding out was when she was at the Gotei. Neither of the twins had any connections to the Gotei, at least none that she knew of.

Knocking again she thought that she heard a muffled sound from within and when no one called for her to enter nor opened the door for her she reached out and did so herself. Knowing Renji it was entirely possible that he was taking a nap, and if he was while on brother-duty she was determined to catch him in the act and make him suffer for it.

But it wasn't Renji who was sleeping on the couch.

"Nii-sa…" she began but caught herself. Looking around quickly she was relieved that there was no one within earshot to catch her slip. Stepping into the office she gently closed the door behind her before turning her gaze towards the sleeping boy.

Walking across the room she studied him closely as she approached. It was difficult to imagine this boy, so quick tempered and bold, to be the same man that would grow up to be the reserved head of the Kuchiki clan. But it was easier to imagine whilst he slept and all of that temperance had melted from his young face.

Frowning she leaned over him and studied him closely. He didn't look too well. In fact he didn't look well at all. He was pale as ghost and now that she looked closer she could see beads of cold sweat on his brow. Was he ill? She gasped for breath when she felt a pang of worry at that thought, but the initial dread was overridden a second later when her own temper flared.

"Renji…" she hissed lowly and it sounded almost like a curse. Fisting her hands she fought down the urge to hunt that idiot down and… as if summoned by her voice the door to the office opened behind her.

"Rukia." Renji sounded surprised, but also much too cheery for his own good.

Turning her head slowly she caught a startled expression fly across Renji's face before he seemed to settle for suspicious dread. He shifted the tray of food in his hands and set it down on a table. "Is something wrong?"

Not answering his question Rukia briskly dragged him out of the office and closed the door behind them. Squaring her shoulders she glowered up at him and bit out; "What did you do to him?"

"Who? Him?" Renji quickly replied and nodded his head towards the office. Catching the fury on her face he frowned and gulped visibly. "Me? I didn't do anythin', it was him drinking all my sake…!"

"You got him drunk?" she wanted to shriek but instead forced her voice down to a deadly hiss.

"No!" Renji hastily denied her accusation. "I got home and found him on the floor drinking."

"For no reason?" She asked suspiciously. She had never seen her brother drunk. Not once in fifty years time, and the notion that he'd drink himself into oblivion for no good reason didn't seem to fit.

"Yeah… well I dunno…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well he was… I dunno… pretty messed up. Acted a bit off ever since we ran into ya and that Aki-Aki-somethin' guy."

"Akihiko." She corrected him primly.

"Yeah. And…" he continued, and then paused uncertainly causing Rukia to look at him. "…he said somethin' last night, after I wrestled the bottle away from him and all. He said somethin' 'bout someone dying, or getting killed. You know anything about that?"

Slowly Rukia shook her head and she bit her lip in worry.

"We need to talk to Captain Ukitake." she said quickly and grabbed his arm as she began to drag him away.

"Wait! What?" Renji protested in confusion. "Why?"

"Because he's a noble too, Renji, and as horrible as it may sound the truth is that the nobles may share Seireitei with other shinigami, but they don't live in the same world. What's heard of the nobles doings and goings on the outside is just the tip of the iceberg." she explained hurriedly while she continued towards the thirteenth division, ignoring the odd stares they were receiving. "If anyone knows what the thing about someone getting killed meant, it's another noble. And Ukitake-taichou has been a noble for a very long time."

* * *

They arrived at the thirteenth division quickly. Walking through the same walkways that he and Byakuya had walked down they passed several other shinigami, all of which seemed to be busy. It made Renji reflect on his own division. Ordinarily work was done quickly and efficiently but he had noticed that a certain… genteel attitude towards work had developed over the past few days when neither he or the captain had been present. Well to be honest he was damn sure that it had more to do with that Byakuya was 'absent' than that he had been off during the weekend.

Damn. He'd have to have a talk with the guys. If nessecary he'd even have to stoop to threatening them with the concept of their captain returning to find the division in disarray. That was just one of those things that no one would want to experience.

Turning a corner he nearly walked into someone.

"Woah! Hey, sorry Kiyone. Didn't mean to…" He started to apologise but halted when the woman gave him a startled look. She stuttered something that might have been an apology of her own before turning and quickly vanishing behind another corner.

"Er… she doesn't always behave like that, right?" He asked Rukia but found that she had already continued on her way. She shot him an impatient glance over her shoulder.

"Renji, hurry up."

"Yeah, yeah… I was just…" He muttered but Rukia had already turned away again. "… never mind."

They found the thirteenth division's captain in his office, studiously going over paperwork. On the desk in front of him stood a cup of tea and every now and then while he worked he'd reach out and take a sip. When Rukia and he walked in and bowed to the gentle man, the captain looked up and an inviting smile spread on his face.

"Abarai-fukutaichou, Rukia." He greeted them fondly. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, thank you, Ukitake-taichou." Rukia took the lead while she straightened up. "May we speak with you in private for a moment?"

Ukitake tilted his head to the side, a look of worry tugging at his features and he nodded. As soon as the door closed he stood up from his seat. "Is there something wrong? Did something happen to Byakuya-kun?"

Renji and Rukia exchanged a look.

"No…" Rukia began, shaking her head. "At least not in the sense that there's an imidiate danger involved."

The white haired captain nodded although the look of worry never left his face Renji though a certain tension did fade from him at Rukia's words.

"Sit down, please." He motioned towards the couch by the wall with a slender hand, while he busied himself with walking over to a cabinet and pulling out two cups that he set down on the table in front of them before filling them with sweet smelling tea. He then retrieved his own cup and sat next to them on the couch before nodding at them to continue.

"Last night my brother told Renji something," Rukia began. "Something about someone getting killed."

The captain blinked and then frowned slightly. Fixing Renji with a concerned gaze that clearly stated that he had some doubts. Perhaps he didn't think that he was lying per se, but it seemed to lean more towards the assumption that he must have been mistaken. "I must confess that that doesn't sound like Byakuya-kun at all. To be so openhearted about something like that."

"Well…" Renji mumbled, avoiding the captain's gaze.

"He was drunk, Ukitake-taichou." Rukia explained, not giving her friend a chance to smooth that little information over, and Renji felt himself flush.

"Drunk?" Ukitake questioned, and Renji could hear the calm but steady judgement in that tone.

"He stole a bottle of sake from my kitchen, Ukitake-taichou," Renji tried to explain and looked back up with determination. It wasn't his fault dammit, and he'd be damned if he'd let anyone think it was.

"And you were where?"

Renji blushed a brighter shade of red. "Out. I needed to get groceries and he refused to come along so…"

Slowly the white haired captain shook his head, but this time the judgement was gone from his voice when he spoke; "Tell me what happened."

And Renji repeated the whole incident to the captain, not leaving out any detail he could think of that might give the captain an idea of what may had been going on. When he had finished his tale the captain stood up and stood frozen on the floor whilst staring out of the window. There was a light frown on his face.

Renji and Rukia exchanged a wary look.

"Ukitake-taichou?" Rukia questioned lowly.

The white haired man didn't respond right away but kept his gaze firmly locked on something outside the window. When he finally glanced their way again Renji could easily see the edges of worry on his face.

"You should give him a name, before you accidentally call him by his real one in front of someone who shouldn't hear." The tall man said in a low tone of voice. Clearly he had decided to end the conversation, and Renji wondered why. He had to bite down on his tongue to keep from asking. Something about the way the captain had reacted told him that this was not the time to ask. "I need to get back to work, as I am sure the two of you also should. A division doesn't run itself."

A polite yet firm manner in which to ask them to leave, and coming from a captain they had little choice than to oblige.

* * *

"How about… Yoshi?" Renji tried for what felt like the hundredth time to pitch a name to Byakuya. Just like he did every time Renji suggested a new name the boy gave him a disgusted look. The red head was seriously beginning to consider just calling the brat "Dumb-ass" and be done with it.

"My grandfather had a dog called Yoshi once. It was fat, lazy and ugly. " Byakuya replied and ate a spoonful of soup. It was the only thing Renji had been successful in coaxing the brat into eating and he was now starting to look less green in the face.

"So… no?" Renji said and received a blank look from the boy.

"Indeed." Byakuya responded a moment later. "I'd have thought that at the very least was obvious, even to you, baboon."

It seemed that recovering from the hangover also had the snarky remarks coming back.

Taking a deep, calming breath the redhead resisted the urge to respond to the insult. They'd never get anywhere if all they ever did was fighting, and, he added to himself, he still wanted to try to get Byakuya to explain what he had said the night prior. Ticking the brat off wouldn't aid him if he wanted to interrogate him.

"Alright, alright. Yori?"

"Do I look like a servant to you?"

"A servant? It's just a damn name." Renji groaned.

"A name fit for a servant." The dark haired boy concluded and continued to eat.

The red head watched him in silence for a while. He couldn't help but to wonder why the kid was being so difficult. Not just about this, a seemingly simple task of taking another name for a while, but about everything. He questioned anything and everything, refused to compromise and took no account for anyone else's feelings. Was he doing it on purpose? Was he trying to get a rise out of him? Or was it just his nature?

His captain had not had any problems with following orders supplied by Yamamoto; but this kid seemed to have no such qualms. What had changed him? Or had he changed at all? Thinking back Renji realised that when it came down to it his captain never seemed to just do as anyone said. He'd follow Yamamoto's orders, yes, but he'd also seemed to add to them so they fit his own needs.

Maybe he had been staring at the boy, who'd, hopefully, become his captain again soon, for too long because suddenly the youth's grey eyes locked with his own. There was a steely annoyance in them.

"It's rude to stare at someone who's eating, baboon. I knew you were lacking in manners but I assumed that even you knew as much. Apparently I made a grave miscalculation." Byakuya said.

Renji once more fought down the initial urge he had to fight back; he bit his tongue, again reminding himself that there was no use getting into another argument. There was no arguing with Byakuya Kuchiki anyway – teen or adult.

"Well." The redhead said instead and decided to promptly change the subject." We gotta call ya somethin'. Can't go 'round callin' ya Byakuya and let everyone know 'bout this... thing. Just pick a damn name will ya."

Byakuya gave him a levelled look, pressed his lips together almost unnoticeably as if contemplating what he had said and hating the fact that Renji was right. Eventually he nodded his head once and said; "Soujun. "

"Soujun? What kinda dumb name's that?" Renji chuckled, and was rewarded with an icy glare.

"It was my father's." The boy responded with a voice even colder.

Renji bit his tongue. "Oh… er… sorry." He hesitated for a moment but then shook his head. "Anyway Soujun won't work."

"Why not?"

"'cause yer relatives would figure it out, right? And ya don't want that to happen do ya?"

Byakuya pressed his lips together again; a stubborn look crossed his face and for a moment Renji was convinced that he was about to be dragged into yet another fight. But the kid inclined his head.

"How 'bout Keita?" Renji suggested and was sure that that too would be scornfully rejected and objected to ridicule, but to his surprise Byakuya tilted his head to the side as if considering it carefully. Then he nodded once.

The matter was settled.

Renji felt relieved and almost wanted to throw his arms in the air and cheer with joy and glee. 0000000000

Renji gently shut the door to his bedroom after checking up on his charge that was deep asleep in the midst of an array of sheets and pillows. It didn't come as a surprise to Renji that Byakuya, or rather Keita from now on, he reminded himself, had fallen asleep early. Hangovers tended to do that to you. He knew this from long and dedicated personal experience.

Padding into his living room the redhead settled down on the couch and glared at the stacks of papers. He hadn't counted on this. Or maybe his brain had just tried to protect his sanity by not letting him consider the inevitable. In the end it had been a rude wake up call and he blamed his thick head for it. If he'd only been allowed to prepare himself for the horror maybe it'd have felt less… horrible.

Paperwork. Not only his own share, but his captain's too. Obviously Byakuya, Keita, was in no position to do paperwork, and Renji hated him a little for that. Damn… if he didn't know any better he'd think this whole thing was just a ploy by Kuchiki-taichou to bully Renji into doing paperwork.

"Man…" he muttered with a groan and gave the stacks of paper another hard glare. He fiddled with the thought of 'accidentally' setting fire to them, but decided against it. With his kido skills he may burn down the building in the process. "…I need coffee." He took another look at the stacks and added. " Strong coffee."

Rising from the couch he walked into the kitchen. While he prepared himself a cup of coffee, the strongest he could muster, his thoughts irrevocably went back to the boy sleeping in his bed.

Not for the first time his mind went to the night prior when he'd had the boy tightly wrapped in his arms, the small frame trembling with tears that soaked into his clothes.

"_He killed them."_ Those words. Every time he thought about them it sent a chill down his spine and just like then he now felt the urge to interrogate the kid about it. Who died? Who killed them? And who was that person or persons to this boy? He wanted to ask all of those questions, but so far hadn't been able to. Byakuya had been so distraught last night, had seemed so small and… weak… and despite it all Renji didn't want to bring him back to that. He didn't want to see this boy, or his captain like that.

Another question was lingering in his brain too; Had this killing been what had had caused his captain to become the cold person that Renji knew?

Maybe it was just something that came with him being a noble?

It was baffling to the redhead, no less now than it had been days ago, how this fiery and stubborn brat could be the same man that would look at him with such a cold, detached gaze, and against his better judgement Renji found that he wanted to know. Wanted to know about the link between them, because they really seemed like two separate people.

"What the heck happened, cap'n?" he mumbled aloud, mostly to break out of the whirling mess these thoughts were making of his mind.

"Yo, Renji. Do you often talk to yourself, or is this a special occasion?"

Renji yelped and damn near spilled coffee all over himself. Whirling around toward the voice he blinked when he found a familiar woman standing in the entrance to his kitchen. There was a look of amusement on her dark features.

"Yoruichi-san… How did ya…?" he breathed in surprise and caught himself. There was no use asking how she got in, she was the former 2nd division captain. Of course she'd be able to get in without him noticing. "What are ya doing here?"

"Ukitake sent for me." She answered casually and shrugged. "Seems he think you got a problem with Bya-bo."

"Bya…bo?" Renji repeated, feeling dumbstruck.

Yoruichi laughed. "Yeah, it's what I always called him. Drives him off the bend."

"Bya…" Renji repeated again as the realisation started to hit him. "…kuya?"

Yoruichi laughed again, the laugh of someone remembering something particularly funny.

"Yep. He calls me Baka-neko, you know. Silly thing."

Renji shook his head, still reeling over the not so subtle hint that Yoruichi and his captain seemed to at least at one time have known each other well enough to address each other by nicknames.

"Where is he?" Yoruichi interrupted his thoughts and looked around as if the aforementioned Bya-bo would suddenly plop out of a cabinet.

"Oh… asleep. He… ain't feelin' too good." The redhead answered, scratching his neck sheepishly as he avoided to say why exactly his charge wasn't feeling well.

The quick teasing smile on the woman's face told him that she already knew though and he scoffed. Damn, Ukitake-taichou liked to gossip?

"So he's really back in the teenage years, huh? I can't wait to wake him up in the morning." The woman said thoughtfully and leaned against the doorframe with a snigger. "It's been a while since we played tag."

"Tag?" Renji asked and felt his eyes widening. "Ya played tag together?"

"How did you think he learned shunpo?"

"Oh." Man, no wonder his captain was good at that if he'd learned from playing tag with the frickin' Godess of Flash as a kid. "So ya've known each other for a long time. That's why Ukitake-taichou sent ya?"

She nodded and her expression grew serious. "He told me about what Bya-bo said. What I wonder is why you're so interested. Why are you so curious? What is he to you, Renji? A puzzle to solve? An enigma to figure out?" her voice was low and deadly serious. There was an almost angry glint in her eyes, as if she was accusing him and Renji blushed in anger.

"No!" he blurted out. "Or… yes… I dunno. I just don't get it. All of this is fucked up and… hey I gotta live with the guy, and he's freaking out and… I kinda feel like I…" he trailed out, not really knowing how to continue. He was curious, he'd admit that, but there was something else too. He felt that he needed to know. He wanted to…

"You want to protect him." Yoruichi finished his thought aloud. The anger had drained from her face somewhat, and he thought that he could see something else flash in her eyes now. It was a heavy look, and it faintly reminded him of regret but he wasn't sure it had been there because the next second it was gone.

Again he felt himself blush, but he wasn't sure why. Instead he merely shook himself and tried to act casual when he shrugged and said: "I'm his fukutaichou. Kinda my duty."

Yoruichi looked up at him with her arms crossed over her chest. For long moments they stood just like that, and Renji was reminded of the fact that she once had been the 2nd division captain. He wondered what it was she was trying to gouge out of his expression and he fought down the urge to pull a face just to break the stalemate.

"You can't protect him from something that already happened, Renji."

"Nah, I know. But… ya know, if I at least knew what the heck's going on… I could help. Or at least not hurt him." He mumbled and felt a sting of guilt shoot through him when he thought back at that moment he raved at the brat and told him his grandfather was dead. He had hurt him then and Renji didn't want to cause him pain like that again.

Yoruichi nodded slowly.

"I'll tell you."


	9. Chapter 9

Impertinent little brat

Chapter 9: Secrets of the Nobles 2

* * *

"It's a difficult story to tell." Yoruichi began thoughtfully and took a sip of the sake that Renji had poured for her. Luckily he'd had another bottled stored away in one of his cabinet's. Predictably it was a gift from Ikkaku. And even more predictably Renji had decided to keep it well hidden while the brat lived there.

Renji nodded intently and took a sip from his own sake bowl. He could already tell from the expression on her face and the serious tone of her voice that this was information that she was very careful about. Probably those damn noble business Rukia kept going on about.

"You're too young to remember Genrei-sama, aren't you?"

Renji almost asked 'who?' but caught himself. Genrei was a name he vaguely remembered hearing before, though he couldn't remember in which context he'd heard it. Genrei… Kuchiki? He frowned. "He was the 6th division's captain before…?"

"Before Byakuya, yes. When Genrei-sama died Byakuya took his place as the head of the Kuchiki clan. And later as captain."

"Right." He remembered where he's seen the name before now. In one of the scrolls that listed the captains that had served the 6th division. "His granddad, right?"

Yoruichi nodded, a solemn look in her eyes. "He was a good man. A good leader. Not so good with the family though."

"What do ya mean?" Renji asked quickly. For some reason his first thought was that the man had had done something to Byakuya, hurt him somehow, and he felt an urge to hunt the man down and make him pay. Then he remembered that he was long dead.

"Oh, he was a good clan leader, that was never in question," Yoruichi assured him. "But he made a mistake when he allowed his wife to birth him not one heir but two."

Renji blinked. "Huh?"

How the hell were having kids a mistake?

"You're from Rukongai, Renji. Tell me; how do people there view the noble clans?"

"Like stuck up brats that never lift a finger, even to scratch their own arse." He instantly blurted out, and when he remembered who he was talking to he blushed. "Eh… sorry."

Yoruichi laughed. "You have no idea how often that's actually true. But that's the middle class nobility. Those are the ones that can lean back and just go along for the ride because they really can't move much higher than they already are, and few are willing to try. It tends to get them tossed even lower in the ranks. The high class guards their stature jealously. The higher up you get… the uglier it gets. And to be born as an heir to the Kuchiki house, for a lack of better wording, you're in deep shit."

Yoruichi paused for a second to catch his baffled expression, and then smirked. "To make a long story short; There's a constant tug-o-war of power going on between the ruling classes. The higher up in the hierarchy you are, the more people there will be that wants to stab you in the back to ensure their own fortitude. The person at the top of it all is the clan leader, and there can only be one of those. Because of this it's considered… prudent for the clan leader to produce only one child. One heir. It's the foundation of the clan. The fact that there's only one leader, one true and possible leader, is what keeps the clan united despite all of the scheming going on behind the scenes. When Genrei had a second son he uprooted this foundation."

Not feeling like repeating himself with another eloquent 'huh?' Renji settled for a: "How?"

Yoruichi sighed, as if she was explaining the most obvious thing; "Genrei-sama opened the door to negotiation."

"Huh?" That one just slipped out naturally. Perhaps he was duller than a week old sushi but he just didn't get how having more than on kid could be a bad thing.

Yoruichi sighed. Loudly and theatrically. "With two heirs there was a choice. If you give the clan a choice they will undoubtedly choose a weaker candidate, someone that they think they can control, Renji. Control the clan leader and you control the clan."

"And what? Cap'n was the weaker choice?" Renji asked. That was a horrifying thought. If Byakuya were the weaker candidate… what the heck was that Aki-aki guy like?

Yoruichi laughed. "Kami-sama, no! But I bet those idiots thought he was. Bya-bo was very young when he was made clan leader. Guess they thought he'd be an easy target."

Renji grinned. "Those poor bastards must've gotten the shock of their lives."

Yoruichi nodded, and the grin faded from her face. "And that's what's the problem. I don't think they ever got over that shock. You know Bya-bo well enough Renji; you know he refuse to bow to anyone's will other than his own. It's a trait that make him good leader, a strong leader. It also gave him many enemies, most of whom are from within the family. That's why Rukia didn't want him anywhere near them."

"But… he's their leader! They wouldn't try to kill him!" Renji exclaimed.

"Accidents happen, Renji. " Yoruichi replied. "It happened before."

"But they wouldn't…!" the redhead began but halted. "What happened before?"

"Soujun Kuchiki."

Renji blinked. That name sounded familiar. Where had he heard it before?

"Bya-bo's father." Yoruichi said and Renji realised he must've voiced his last thought aloud. "And his mother. They both died."

He gulped and wetted his lips. Again he recalled the boy crying in his arms and everything clicked into place. "Someone killed them."

"Officially; no. Unofficially; yes." Yoruichi replied.

"What happened?" He forced himself to reign in the building anger. Reign in the need to first go check up on the sleeping brat in his bed before rushing off to slam some sense into every thick Kuchiki head he could find. Save for the one resting soundly on his pillow of course.

Yoruichi shrugged. "They died. Hollow attack they said, but… there were signs of shinigami being present. It was ignored by the clan. Soujun was not as strong as his father or Bya-bo. He was the easiest target. Had he been stronger it might've ended differently."

Damn straight, Renji thought vehemently and slammed his fist down on the table so the sake cups rattled. His cap'n wouldn't have been killed. He'd have slaughtered those hollows and proceeded to do the same damn thing to those bastards! Whoever they were…

Furiously Renji poured himself a cup of sake, only faintly noticing that his hands were shaking with suppressed rage, and downed it in one gulp.

"Damn…" he muttered and poured himself another. Yoruichi watched him silently. "Damn them… damn…damn… damn!"

"I'll toast to that." Yoruichi held up her cup and they toasted in silent understanding.

"I'll just sleep in there." She informed him nonchalantly some time later after he'd asked her where she was staying for the night. Obviously she thought it was the most common thing in the world to exclaim her intent to sleep with Byakuya Kuchiki.

"In there?" He protested. "With… with… him?"

"Well of course, Renji. There's only one couch as far as I can see, and Byakuya don't take that much space. There will be plenty of room for me to snuggle down with him."

"But… but… he'll go mad finding ya there!" he exclaimed, trying hard to not raise his voice too loudly.

Yoruichi laughed heartily. "Don't you think I can handle one little Byakuya on my own? Don't you worry. It'll be just like old times."

Renji frowned in confusion at the image of Yoruichi and his captain sharing a bed. Why would they share a bed anyway? Had they been… like… lovers? But Yoruichi was so much older than Byakuya… right? Although she may look young… there had to be some kinda law against that sorta thing, right?

Perhaps Yoruichi had guessed in which direction his thoughts had wandered because she was sniggering at his face. "Unless you'd rather snuggle down with him, that is?"

Renji felt his face go red, though he wasn't really sure why. He had shared the bed with the brat just last night and that hadn't been anything like… that. It was just something about the way she said it. She made it sound so… dirty. Wrong.

"No!" he blurted out, and she laughed again. Obviously he was amusing her somehow. "It's not… I mean…"

"Well then I'll just see you in the morning, Renji." The dark skinned woman said, turned on her heel and walked into the bedroom.

Renji huffed and flopped back down on the couch to stare up at the ceiling. His life was becoming increasingly difficult with all of these nobles and their damn noble schemes. Not only was he housing a seriously annoying brat, that he at times suspected was off his damn rocker, but now he had an equally confusing were-cat there.

"And they call me a freeloader…" he muttered and lay down to try to catch some sleep.

* * *

Somehow he wasn't particularly surprised when he awoke the next morning to the sound of screaming. And loud obnoxious laughing. The loud crash from his bedroom made the redhead roll over with a groan and bury his head in the couch pillow. Damn nobles…

Another crash, probably the sound of his door being slammed open. Renji hoped the hinges hadn't broken. With a growl he bolted from the couch and ran to the hallway.

"…the hell away from me, Baka-neko!" Byakuya's voice roared from the bedroom. The outburst was followed by another round of loud cackling.

"Can't you take a bit of playing, Bya-bo?" Yoruichi's voice asked in a way that clearly stated that she already knew the answer to that question.

"I'll show you playing!"

Oh crap…! Renji thought, his mind rushing back to what Yoruichi had said the night prior about her and his cap'n 'playing' tag. He rushed towards the bedroom door, but before even reaching it he sensed rather than saw two figures rushing past him in the opposite direction. Although he knew that the room would be empty when he reached he couldn't help but cuss loudly when met with the sight of the recently vacant room.

His mind barely noted the broken vase by the window.

"Fuck…" he groaned. "…not again."

* * *

"So? You've calmed down yet, Bya-bo?" Yoruichi asked. Byakuya growled furiously, refusing to answer such an inane question, and struggled to get the woman off of him. Of course the hell cat only laughed at this.

"Get off me, Baka-neko."

"What's the magic word?"

"Off. Me. Now." She was not going to make him say it! Not now; not ever!

"Wrong." The stupid cat replied cheerfully and made herself comfortable sitting on his back while he tried in vain to get away. "Say please." She sing-songed back down at him.

"Never!" The nerve of this woman, to think he'd say something like that to her after she had practically molested him that morning and lured him away to Rukongai of all places and then proceeded to wrestle him to the ground to sit on him- and she dared to phantom that he'd say _that_ word to make her release him. He'd sooner cut out his own tongue!

"Guess we're gonna be here for a while then, Bya-bo. Good thing you make a comfy couch." Yoruichi said and grinned down at him.

Byakuya strained his neck to glare at her as hard as he could. She grinned wider and ruffled his hair roughly causing him to try to bite her hand but he couldn't bend that far. Again she laughed and Byakuya felt anger searing in his veins, pulsating along with the thumping of his heart. God! Dammit!

"Baka neko!" he cried in furious but ultimately helpless frustration and renewed his effort to get the stupid cat off his back.

* * *

"You lost him?"

It really wasn't so much a question about him loosing the brat. It was more of a question that expressed the captain's bafflement at the sheer stupidity of it all. It all being Renji who was currently standing across the desk of the captain of the 13th division. Hanging his head Renji avoided the white haired man's gaze and nodded.

"Again?"

Apparently even the legendary patience and forgiving nature of Ukitake Jushiro had its limits, but rather than sounding angry the man sounded disappointed.

"Yes, Ukitake-taichou." He admitted, still not looking up. Somehow it seemed worse that the captain showed such blatant disappointment in him than if he'd yelled at him. Anger Renji could handle, but this… it was horrific. It made him want to dig himself a hole somewhere and disappear from sight for the rest of his life.

"But… how?" Ukitake prompted.

"Yoruichi-san came by last night and…" Renji began and glanced up. Almost instantly the other man leaned back in his chair and breathed a sigh of relief. Holding up one hand he motioned for Renji to stop talking.

"Ah." He said, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "I see. It's all my fault."

Renji blinked. Was he missing something? "What?"

Chuckling Ukitake stood up from his seat and gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Abarai-fukutaichou. I'm afraid that I had forgotten the nature of Byakuya-kun's and Yoruichi-san's relationship. It really is my fault. I should have warned you before asking her to pay a visit. Old age seems to be creeping up on me. Would you like to sit down and have a cup of tea with me?"

To say that Renji was flabbergasted would've been an understatement of the gravest sort. He was starting to wonder if he was still sleeping, or if the captain had been possessed by… something.

"But… Ukitake-taichou. I need to find my cap'n, I can't just…"

Again Ukitake held up a hand, interrupting him.

"There's no need to worry, I think. Byakuya-kun is in good hands. Yoruichi-san most likely just wanted to have some time alone with him. She will keep him safe from harm." Ukitake smiled encouragingly, but when Renji turned to sit down on the couch the redhead could've sworn he heard the captain add something under his breath. It sounded suspiciously like: "At least the sort that would be inflicted by others."

Renji decided that he must've misheard him. Yoruichi-san wouldn't harm his cap'n, he knew that at least.

* * *

The sun was high on the sky by the time Yoruichi finally sighed and stood up from him. Instantly Byakuya was on his feet. He didn't say anything, just glared at her furiously.

"Well I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. What do you say about some food?" She asked.

"As if I'd ever eat your scraps." He muttered.

"I wouldn't dream of it." She grinned that annoying grin again and pointed towards the houses not far from the hill where they were standing. "I was thinking restaurant. There's a good place right down that way."

He was going to tell her that she could very well keep her filthy food to herself but at the thought of food his stomach made a loud grumble and he looked down. He hadn't even noticed how hungry he was until then.

"Sounds like your tummy is agreeing with me, Bya-bo. Come on." She said and motioned for him to follow when she began walking toward the houses. For a moment he debated with himself whether or not to follow. His pride hard headedly told him to let her go on her own, but his stomach told him to follow. Also sense spoke up somewhere in the back of his mind, whispering a sly warning that he probably shouldn't get himself lost alone in Rukongai. He had no guards with him, sense said. The only one around to protect him should the need arise would be Yoruichi. Not that he'd ever admit to that aloud.

Biting back a grumble of annoyance he slowly followed her. She stopped to let him catch up before they continued side by side. There was a moment of silence before Yoruichi broke it with an off handed question: "How does it feel being a teen again?"

"How should I know? I feel the same as I did going to bed in my own room at the estate. I haven't changed." He replied.

"Just everyone and everything else has." She nodded.

Byakuya glanced at her from the corner of his eye and nodded once. "You're old."

Even he wasn't certain whether he'd meant that in an offending manner or not. He knew his grandfather would surely scold him for being so blunt, especially about a topic as delicate as a woman's age. However he'd meant it, it didn't seem to faze the demon cat.

"And you're a brat." She grinned. "Hey, maybe not everything has changed after all."

Byakuya halted momentarily. Stopped to look up on the sun and the fluffy clouds on the sky. For some reason hearing her say that made him feel… lighter. Somehow more balanced. As if there really were something familiar and tangible in this place after all.

A finger poked him on the forehead and he frowned. Slowly he looked back down at the dark skinned woman.

"What are you doing, Bya-bo?" she asked, easily meeting his eye. Few people could do that. Never would he have thought that the fact that she could would make him feel both annoyed and… what? Glad? Renji did that too. Byakuya wondered briefly where that thought had come from, but as he pondered it he realised that it was true. Renji never backed down, and had no problem with chastising him (although the baboon was obviously wrong in doing so since Byakuya knew very well what was best for himself). That was a new experience. Other than his grandfather, Ukitake-san, and the occasional person that were above him in status, no one ever seemed quite comfortable meeting his eye. Except for the stupid cat currently poking him on the forehead of course.

With a grunt of annoyance he swiped her finger away from him and glared at her challengingly.

"Do not think you are allowed to get your fingers anywhere near my person." He said as icily as he could and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Such actions are inappropriate, and I do not wish to be tainted by your touch."

To his astonishment the dark skinned woman took a step back. A sharp and icy feeling of nervousness ran through him and suddenly he was afraid that his words had caused her to turn from him. That he had pushed too hard. The way he always did. Always pushed away those who dared to get close, and watched in silent and painful triumph when they did what he knew that they would. And that was what he wanted. Wasn't it?

Yoruichi tilted her head to the side and gazed at him for long moments. Suddenly her gaze felt heavier than stone on him and he had to struggle not to look away or waver.

Then she quickly leaned forward and gave him a peck on the forehead where she had just had her finger.

His eyes widened. For a moment he almost feared that they'd pop out of their sockets, and then she pulled back quickly, ruffled his hair again and flash stepped away.

Spluttering for a retort of some sort he pushed aside the rush of relief he felt and gave way to the much more familiar sensation of anger.

"Baka-neko!" he cussed and furiously ran after her. Her laughter was ringing in his ears as he chased after her, and he smiled despite himself. Yes, something familiar felt good. Steady. Even if it was an annoying hell cat of a woman.

* * *

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Impertinent little brat

Chapter 10: "I see."

* * *

"I have a sister." Byakuya repeated with something akin to awe. It was a statement that seemed so impossible, almost ludicrous, to him that he couldn't quite wrap his mind around it. He had always been an only child, always alone and kept apart from any other child that may cross his path at the Kuchiki house. Children would get dirty while playing, his grandfather had reminded him, and the heir of the Kuchiki clan could not afford such a faux pas.

And now suddenly he had a sister.

He wondered how old she was.

Surely much younger than he. Or… younger than he apparently was supposed to be? Maybe she was much older than he was now. How old was he supposed to be anyway? He found it odd that he hadn't thought to ask Ukitake-san when the captain had explained the situation to him. An unforgivable slip in common sense, he berated himself sternly. He needed to know all there was to know.

"Yep." Yoruichi nodded. She was eying him curiously from across the table at the dingy restaurant, as if trying to measure his reaction. "Rukia. She's a shinigami too. From Ukitake-san's division."

"I see." He didn't know what else to say. He wasn't certain how he felt about suddenly being inflicted with a sister he didn't know. Forcing down the urge to bite his lip in a most undignified manner that would make Renji proud he contemplated this new revelation before coming to a decision. When he spoke he made certain to keep his voice cool. "And how did I come about gaining a sister?"

"You adopted her." The woman replied. Then seemed to consider something herself before continuing in a much softer voice. "She was your wife's sister."

His eyes widened. Wife? And then that other word pressed into his mind and despite knowing that he had not misheard her or misunderstood her in anyway he couldn't keep his lips from forming the words. "Was?"

Yoruichi nodded.

"I see." It was rather considerate of Yoruichi to let him dine before telling him of these… events, he figured. Otherwise he doubted that he'd have an appetite.

From the corner of his eye he numbly noted that the dark skinned woman made a movement and her hand reached for him. It hesitated in mid-air, and then she tried to disguise the movement by running her hand through her hair. Had she been thinking of touching him? Consoling him? Perhaps… but as always it seemed that that pristine noble blood halted her from lowering herself like that. Not even Yoruichi Shihoin was entirely immune to it, no matter what she said

Any other time he might have found it funny.

"Come on." Yoruichi said and abruptly stood up as if shaking off an uncomfortable feeling. "Let's get back, Bya-bo. I bet Renji-kun is chewing through the carpet in worry as we speak."

"What does it matter to me what that baboon-fool does or does not?"

* * *

Ukitake-taichou had advised him to go home to wait for the brat and that damned cat to get back, so he had told Rikichi to take over the division for the day. He had even done as told and gone back to his apartment; had paced back and forth on the living room floor for a while, tried to sit down and relax with a cup of coffee before he started pacing again, until he couldn't take it anymore and bolted for the door.

He'd find his cap'n himself, dammit! What kind of fukutaichou would he be if he couldn't even track down his own pintsized captain? That damned first round didn't count.

* * *

Renji wasn't home.

Byakuya wondered why that fact made him feel so… disappointed. He found that he wanted to… what? Speak to the baboon? What good would that do? He sneered at himself. What good could come out of that course mouth?

Yet the apartment felt oddly deserted and cold now, and he soon found that he had difficulty settling down. He needed to do something, he needed to move, get some answers to the questions he couldn't bring himself to utter to Yoruichi Shihoin. Would she have answered them? Yes, he decided. She would. Had he only asked.

But he couldn't lower himself in her eyes… no, she wouldn't have held it against him, he admitted… he just couldn't lower himself in his own eyes like that.

So then what?

What should he do?

"Rukia." He voiced her name aloud for the first time. It was a fine name he decided with some distant sense of approval.

He wanted to see her. He had to see her. Who was the girl he had adopted as a sister? The sister to his… late wife?

She was of Ukitake-san's division so he assumed she should be there. Nodding to himself he opened the door to the apartment and flashstepped towards the division.

* * *

Another day spent with Akihiko and she was certain that she would go mad. Not because her brother's cousin was particularly maddening if viewed from anyone else's perspective; on the contrary he was the epitome of false politeness and empty smiles. Neither of which was traceable on his pretty, noble face. But she knew. And it drove her mad to not be able to confront the bastard.

"Why, Rukia-chan, you seem distracted today." He falsely polite and unwelcome company commented and continued to eat the rich food dished out for them. They were sitting outside near her brother's sakura trees.

"Not at all, Akihiko-sama." She replied and tried to force an equally convincing and false smile onto her own lips. She didn't think she succeeded. "I was just enjoying the food."

"I see."

Those words. How many times had she heard them coming from her brother? She had come to realise that when spoken in noble company those words could mean anything between a simple 'yes' or 'no' to something different entirely.

"Have you had word on when we should expect your brother's return?" the question was asked nonchalantly, but she knew it was anything but.

"Not yet, Akihiko-sama. Sometimes Yamamoto-taichou's missions take time."

"I see."

Again those words. Was this an omen?

* * *

Byakuya made an abrupt halt on the roof of one of the division thirteenth's buildings and gazed down at the small yard that was placed like an oasis in the midst of it. He had come here once before after Renji had told him about his grandfather and Ukitake-san had sat him down and talked to him. Explained things.

It seemed that the captain had failed to explain all things. Had the man wanted to keep his sister a secret? Was she perhaps that great a shame to his division? Or was she terribly unsightly?

"Hey, you!" a loud voice yelled at him, and Byakuya coldly redirected his gaze towards the man standing directly below him. It was a rather big man, clad in the shinigami uniform though it hardly looked standard as he also wore a white headband and shoulder straps. Another brute. "Get down from Ukitake-taichou's roof, you little scoundrel!"

"And if I do not?" Byakuya asked and raised an eyebrow. Certainly the fool should know better than to address him in such a manner. Otherwise he'd just have to teach him.

The man seemed taken aback for a moment and then an angry flush rose on his face. "Or I'll take you down myself!"

Byakuya wasn't sure he kept the smirk from showing on his face. "Will you now?"

The man's face darkened in anger. When he flashstepped Byakuya almost found it laughable how easy it was to avoid him. A quick step to the right was enough.

Slowly the man turned back around to glare at him.

"You stay right there." He said and held up his hands in front of him as if trying to zone in on Byakuya who merely raised his eyebrow in reply. Was the man serious? "Right… there!"

Again he leaped at him and Byakuya lazily sidestepped. He felt like giggling. This was too easy.

"Alright… I see now." The man muttered and squinted at him.

Another leap and another sidestep.

The man's shunpo was beyond atrocious.

He didn't keep track of how many times they repeated this procedure before the noble grew bored and reminded himself that he had better things to do; so when the man once more leaped at him he jumped down from the roof and landed on the ground. He heard a cuss behind him, followed by a loud crash when the shinigami found himself grasping at thin air and fell on his face on the ground behind Byakuya.

Turning around to witness the disgrace he rolled his eyes.

"Hah! You… I got… you down… from there…!" the man panted in triumph as he picked himself up from the ground.

"Hardly. I decided to come down on my own accord. That decision had nothing to do with you or your messy shunpo." He replied and turned to leave the sweaty and out of breath man to his own inane device.

"Hey!" The brute yelled again. "Where… where do… you think you're going…"

Byakuya didn't bother to look back at the man. He could barely catch a breath as it was, and his slow shunpo was no threat to him. "I have business here."

"Wha… what… kinda business?"

A thought struck Byakuya then. He had no idea of what this Rukia looked like; it would be beneficial to him if he had someone pointing her out to him. "I'm here to meet Rukia Kuchiki."

"Hah, tough… luck… she's not here today."

That stopped Byakuya in his tracks. He hadn't taken into account that she might not be here. Wasn't shinigami supposed work? So far few of the ones he'd met seemed to get any work done at all. Obviously they needed someone to make sure that they did what they were supposed to.

He was so preoccupied with that thought that he didn't notice the pause in the other man's heavy panting.

"Hey… you… wait a sec…!"

Too late he realised that there were recognition in the man's voice and without looking back he flashstepped away, hearing a last yell of "Wait!" before he was well out of earshot.

Damn…! That man had recognised him. He knew that he had. No one was supposed to know; he berated himself and cussed the fool man as he ran back toward the apartment. He was being a hot headed fool, just as his grandfather had said many times. He had to retreat, consider the situation and act accordingly, not run around like a child fresh out of…!

Crack!

Was that his jaw breaking? The thought ran though his head even as he felt himself hurled through the air before slamming into the roof tiles with enough force to knock the breath out of his lungs. Coughing he tried to draw air into his lungs and scrambled desperately to get back up, but his limbs suddenly felt weak and didn't cooperate.

"There you are. We've had a mighty fine time trying to get a tête-à-tête with you, little rabbit."

Forcing his head up Byakuya came face to face with tall, slim man dressed in common, slightly tattered clothes. His face was hidden behind a black mask which he knew all too well. Assassin.

Byakuya's hands clenched and he forced himself to focus on the pain in his hands rather than the fire burning in his lungs. Breathe. That was all he had to do. He couldn't run unless he could breathe.

"Seems he surrounds himself with strong friends." Another voice chimed in casually and his head was yanked back by his hair. Air filled his lungs when his gasp of pain made them work again but now he was trapped by the other assassin's strong grip. "Only weak brats depend on others to protect them." The man who was yanking on his hair said, and Byakuya had the impression that he was sneering although he couldn't tell since his face was covered as well. "Didn't you know?"

"He's just a rabbit not a lion. Cut him some slack." The first assassin said mildly. "All learn in good time. Too bad yours is out, rabbit. I'd dare say you may have made a mighty fine lion one day."

"So… kill him?"

"We are assassins."

"You wanna do it?"

"Why don't you do the honours? I did get the one prior." The first one replied lazily.

"That's nice of you."

"Fair is fair."

The man holding his hair scoffed, and again tugged at Byakuya's hair hard until his head was bent back as far as it could go without breaking his neck. Cold steel touched his throat and the breath caught in his throat.

"Let's cut that lilywhite noble throat then."

Byakuya grit his teeth and his hands came up to grasp the hand that was holding the blade to his throat. He heard a laugh but he wasn't sure which one of the men found his struggle amusing.

"Seems the rabbit isn't ready to admit defeat." It had to have been the first man who laughed then. The other one growled.

"Ready or not doesn't matter. Death comes no matter what." He spat down at Byakuya and the blade pressed tighter against his throat. He felt something warm running down his throat and he knew he was bleeding.

Dammit! He was bleeding! How dare they make him bleed? A sudden rage rushed through him and there was a flash. For a second he could've sworn he heard another voice somewhere distant and he wondered who it was, but the next second his head collided with the roof tiles and he blinked. Something pink fluttered in front of his eyes and he reached up to grasp it, but when he made to grab it disappeared.

The two assassins were standing some distance away. One as unharmed as before while the other bled from various cuts. They were both gazing at him, one in cold calculation and the other in anger.

"Seems the rabbit is a lion cub after all." The unharmed one commented slowly.

"Fuck it! Whatever the hell he is I'll make a stew out of him!" the other growled and ran towards Byakuya again. "You hear that, you little bastard? I'll fucking eat you for dinner!"

Run. Was that his own thought or that distant voice again? Regardless Byakuya wasn't going to argue and he scrambled up and flashstepped.

The moment his feet made contact with the tiles of another roof he felt his knees buckle and he stumbled. Why did he feel so drained? He caught himself from falling with his hand, and briskly told himself to stop asking questions he couldn't answer. He had to run. Gritting his teeth he forced himself back up, ignored the fact that his knees felt like wet noodles and ran.

They were chasing him. He could feel them behind him, nowhere near as far away as he'd have wanted them, and he pushed his legs to go faster. Ignored the pain and fatigue.

He sensed rather than saw the attack and he dove to the side, barely avoiding the blade. Again he stumbled and cursed the sudden and overpowering weakness that made him so slow.

"Gotcha!" the man roared and dove at him. A bloodstained knife gleamed in his hand as he descended, and once more Byakuya felt that force rush through him.

This time he saw it. The pink he could not yet put a name on. It rose up around him like a cocoon and rushed at the assassin.

There was a shriek that cut through the air like a razor when the pink… force… tore through the man as if he was made of tofu. Blood splattered on the roof and the man fell to a heap of useless meat and bones. Had he just…? Did he kill that man just now? He forced himself to stand, gathering himself to jump, but before he managed to take another step he felt someone grabbing him from behind.

Then he gasped but the air wouldn't go down in his lungs, the sharp pain in his back kept it at bay. His knees buckled and he fell back into a pair of strong arms.

"Perhaps not a rabbit…" a voice hissed in his ear. "…but yet a mere cub nevertheless."

Blood filled Byakuya's mouth and he coughed. Felt it running down his chin as his head fell forward like that of a ragdoll's.

Oh… damn…

He thought the man was still speaking but he could no longer hear the words. He felt the grip on him loosen, felt the man push him off the roof and then he had a brief, yet never ending feeling of falling though open air before he slammed into the ground.

* * *

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Impertinent little brat

Chapter 11: Senka is...

* * *

The water splattered across the table when the cup hit it but neither Rukia nor her companion paid it any heed. Both of their attentions were instantly elsewhere when they felt a sudden and familiar flare of reiatsu vibrate through Seireitei. As suddenly as it had come it was gone and in its absence Rukia felt strangely cold.

"It would seem that my cousin is back from whatever wayward mission he was sent on." Akihiko commented lightly. Though he sounded calm Rukia didn't miss the slight frown on his brow.

Was he suspecting the same thing as she?

"So it would seem, Akihiko-sama." She replied evenly.

Was he too suspecting that there was something very wrong and menacing about that? Or was he worried that not everything was going according to some unknown plan?

"If you will excuse me, Akihiko-sama." She politely excused herself and stood up. "I should return to my division to see if my captain has gained any new information from my brother."

For once Rukia didn't bother to wait for his reply. Running as quickly as she could she tried to remember from where she had felt the burst of reiatsu and tried to fight down the worry gnawing in her gut that she was somehow too late. For what she didn't know, and she dreaded to find out.

* * *

"But… you kissed him Yoruichi-sama!" Soifon stuttered, her face turning red but whether from anger or embarrassment Yoruichi didn't know. Still she looked kinda funny like that and it made the cat grin. My, my, one could think the girl to be jealous.

"Ah, so it _was_ you who were eavesdropping, Soifon."

Again the younger woman blushed, her mouth opening to dispute the accusation before closing quickly when she realised that she had just more or less admitted to it with her outburst.

"I… was just making certain that… he wasn't trying anything with you, Yoruichi-sama. A boy that age cannot be trusted." Soifon muttered, her lips turned down in a petulant manner.

Yoruichi laughed loudly. "Bya-bo? He would never do such an undignified thing. You know that, Soifo…"

She quickly interrupted herself and both she and her companion stilled suddenly. Quickly both of the women's heads turned towards the direction of the reiatsu burst. Then it was gone.

"Was that…?" She heard Soifon say, even without looking Yoruichi knew that the other woman was frowning.

"Bya-bo." She confirmed and shunpoed. Without looking she knew that Soifon was following. Suddenly she was afraid. Something was horribly wrong.

* * *

"Which damn way was it?" Ichigo growled.

"How the hell should I know?" Renji hollered back furiously as both he and Ichigo ran through the streets. Damn, damn, damn, he cussed inwardly. He knew that reiatsu so damn well, he had worked next to it and the man wielding it for too long not to recognise it on the spot. He lived with the damn brat! So how the hell was it that he couldn't find it now?

The obvious answer was; Because it was no longer being wielded.

And that answer scared Renji more than he was willing to admit. Suddenly it had been there, like a flaming beacon and then the next moment it had not. The abruptness with which it was cut off scared the redhead shitless.

"He was just fumblin' with it. The brat…" he muttered aloud, trying to convince himself it was true. "Fumblin' an' got backlashed, is all. Prolly just knocked himself out."

Kami-sama, let it be true, he thought. It was not Renji's way to ask Kami-sama for anything, he wasn't even sure he believed in anything such as Kami-sama, but the words came unbidden to him. Almost like a prayer.

"What did you say?" Ichigo yelled back to him.

"Nothing!" Renji yelled back.

"So hurry up then, slowpoke!"

"Shut up, moron! Just try to find the cap'n!" Renji snapped even as he did so himself. Desperately reaching and searching for any trace of the reiatsu that had abruptly disappeared. Nothing. He could feel nothing. Not so much as a damn trace…

"Renji!"

The redhead almost barked back a cuss before he realised that it wasn't Ichigo's voice calling his name.

"Ichigo!"

Looking up he saw Rukia running along with them, above them on the roof.

"Come on! This way!"

Renji leaped upon the roof to run by his friend's side. The next moment Ichigo was there too.

"Rukia! You know where to go?" Ichigo asked.

"I think so." She bit out. Her eyes were fixed ahead of her, not so much as glancing at either of them. Whatever hope that may have still been residing in Renji at that point was snuffed out; Rukia's businesslike and tense appearance said more than words. She felt it too. Something was fucking wrong.

"Damn it." He cussed, shaking his head furiously. "Which way, Rukia?"

"Over there." She pointed. Then she went white in the face, as if all blood just drained from it.

"What it is?" He barked. A thousand different answers flickering through his mind, none of which making him calmer.

"There… there's someone else there too."

Growling Renj sprinted as fast as he could in the directing she had pointed out. He heard Ichigo cuss behind him before the other man ran past him, his shunpo easily outdoing his own.

He saw Ichigo descending between the houses ahead, followed by the familiar flare of his friend's reiatsu and then the rising of another which he didn't recognise. The enemy.

Growling again he drew Zabimaru and heard Rukia draw her own zanpakutou as they both made themselves ready to fight.

Suddenly there was an explosion and both he and Rukia had to dive to the side to avoid the debris that rained down at them. By the time they reached the site of the explosion the dust lay thick in the air.

"Ichigo!" Rukia hollered when they jumped down into the midst of it. "Are you alright?"

"Rukia! Renji!" Their friend's voice answered from the cloud of dust and they both struggled towards his voice. "Over here! Hurry the hell up!"

"Ichigo, are you…?" Renji heard Rukia begin but then her voice trailed off and he nearly toppled over her when she abruptly stopped in her tracks.

"Rukia…!" he exclaimed. "Why are ya…?"

And then he saw why she had stopped.

Ichigo was kneeling in a puddle of debris and dust and blood; he was huddled over an unmoving figure that lay on the ground. He looked up when he noticed them, and the look in his eyes was like a sledgehammer. Renji's breath hitched in his throat and his gaze trailed over the boy on the ground.

White and red. So damn white. The red screamed at him.

"Nii-sama…"

Byakuya.

"Don't just stand there, you idiots!" Another voice sharply cut through the numbing blanket of shock and Renji just managed to turn his head to see Soifon land next to them. An angry scowl was etched on her face and she glared at them. "Get him to the fourth!"

"Soifon-taichou…!" Rukia gasped.

"Now! I will hunt down the perpetrator and bring him in." the short woman snapped in anger before she was gone again.

* * *

"Why weren't you with him, Renji?" Rukia finally lamented, her face red from both anger and sadness as she turned to her friend.

Renji stammered for a response but he couldn't find any words. Somehow all words seemed to have gotten stuck somewhere in the back of his throat, stubbornly clinging there and refusing to get out. He found himself shaking his head wildly, waving his hands in front of himself as if trying to bat the words that were being thrown at him away.

"I told you to guard him."

"Rukia…" finally something came out of his mouth, but the moment it did he realised that he had no clue of how to continue. Again he was left to shaking his head.

A silence fell between them. It was a silence he didn't recognise, one that had never before passed between them, and he felt lost.

Rukia turned away from him to look out the window of the room where they were waiting to hear word from the captain of the fourth division. When they had brought Byakuya in the elder woman had instantly but calmly diverted her full attention to the Kuchiki lord. It was serious. Not that he needed to be told that. At first sight he had been convinced that his captain was dead; the small body had been so white and had been so heavy in his arms when they had hurried towards the hospital. Dead weight.

Somehow he wasn't dead. Yet.

And now all they could do was to wait.

Heaving a sigh Renji crumbled into the couch and buried his face in his hands. Fuck. It was all his fault. Byakuya… damn it.

Kami-sama, don't let him die. Renji didn't care if he didn't believe in gods or not. If there was any chance that there were any kind of being in any damned or holy dimension out there that could keep his cap'n alive he'd pray to it. Pray and grovel 'til his damned knees were worn down to stubs.

He heard the door opening and he wearily lifted his head to see who was coming.

Ukitake-taichou's face was nearly as white as his hair when he rushed inside the room, his chest heaving as if he'd been running. Behind him both of his ever present shadows that seemed to have been less that usually present lately stumbled inside too.

"Captain, you shouldn't be running!" Kiyone exclaimed.

"It's not good for your health!" Sentarou chimed in loudly. Ukitake ignored them.

"Rukia," he hurried to his division member. "Byakuya. How is he?"

"Ukitake-taichou." Rukia turned. Her face had gone from red to white, though Renji through her eyes looked rimmed still with red. Still she stood straight and seemed to at least try to appear strong. "He's… I don't know…"

"Kuchiki-taichou? Something happened to…" Kiyone asked worriedly. Almost frantically. "What's happened?"

"Hey, now. I'm sure he's alright," Sentarou said quickly, awkwardly patting her shoulder as if trying to comfort her. "He's fine."

What the hell was up with those two? Renji idly wondered but didn't give it more than a passing thought since his mind was busy elsewhere.

"Kiyone-san, Sentarou-san, can I ask you to leave us? I need to speak to Rukia and Abarai-san alone." Ukitake said, not turning to look their way. The two self-appointed shadows of his nodded once, glancing at each other warily before exiting the room.

A second later Renji moved to do the same.

"Abarai-fukutaichou." The captain's voice stopped him in his tracks and he hesitantly looked back. "I'm sorry. This is my fault."

"What?" Rukia asked. "Ukitake-taicou, what do you mean?"

The captain looked surprised at first, then understanding dawned on his face and he stated softly: "Abarai didn't… tell you."

"Tell me what? Renji? Tell me what?" the girl asked quickly, but Renji lowered his head. The words still refused to come.

"That Byakuya-kun was not with Renji today; It is my fault that he was not." Ukitake-taichou answered instead. His voice was very soft when he spoke and Renji felt a surge of anger when he realised that the gentle older man was blaming himself. It was not Ukitake's fault, it was his. He was the one who was supposed to protect the br… the cap'n. "I sent Yoruichi-san to him last night. I didn't think of…"

"It's not your fault Ukitake-taichou." The redhead looked up fiercely. "It's mine. I was supposed to protect him, and I wasn't there! An' now he's… he might die… 'cause of me!"

The silence that followed his outburst was compact. Both his friend's and the captain's eyes were locked on him in shock. Angrily Renji began pacing the floor.

"I should¨ve… I was supposed to protect him, dammit!" he exclaimed furiously.

Dammit!

He didn't stop until he felt someone grabbing his arm, and he turned to find Rukia gazing up at him.

"Renji…" She said and shook her head. Then suddenly her arms were wrapped around him. "It's not your fault… it's not…"

* * *

"They used Senka." Unohana-taichou said calmly as they stood by the bedside of the unconscious boy.

Renji felt like slamming his fist through the wall.

Those damned bastards…. They used one of his favourite moves against him! Renji wasn't sure why that particular detail enraged him so much but it did. It was just… it was as if they had made him cut down himself!

"Fuck." He muttered.

"Please don't use such words here, Abarai-fukutaichou. This is a hospital." Unohana said and smiled sweetly. Renji jerked at that smile, it always sent a warning tingle down his spine and made him want to run for the hills.

"Sorry." He blurted out quickly.

"It's quite alright, Abarai-fukutaichou. Stressing situations cause unheeded words."

"Senka cuts off the Soul Chain and the Soul Sleep…" Rukia said. Her voice was strangled, as if she had to force the words to come out. "My brother will never be a shinigami again."

Renji's breath hitched. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind. To him Byakuya had always been the foremost shinigami. The one he wanted, needed, and was going to beat. That he would no longer be a shinigami… that he'd have all power stripped from him… it was a fate worse than death. His cap'n couldn't…

"Ordinarily it would be so. Fortunately the Senka was performed sloppily." Unohana-taichou agreed and nodded.

"So what the hell…" Renji caught himself before he got hit by that sweet smile again. "Eh… what does that mean, Unohana-taichou?"

"He's responding well to the treatment. I believe that given time his body will mend the damage itself. I cannot promise that it won't affect him. It may be that his reiatsu will be significantly lowered, but he will live."

Renji gulped. Glancing sideways at Rukia he saw that she was wearing an expression that probably mimicked his own. They both knew that the cap'n wouldn't accept that. Byakuya Kuchiki would refuse to be lowered like that. He was power and strength. It was what he relied on. He'd rather die than have that taken away.

And suddenly Renji was afraid. Much more than when he'd thought his cap'n was dead, and he realised that he was no longer afraid of what someone else may do to his captain, but what he may do himself if it turned out that his reiatsu would be permanently crippled.

What was Byakuya Kuchiki without his power?

Sensing their need for space Unohana-taichou silently slipped out of the room and left the two friends with their charge.

Renji fisted his hands. Again he wanted to slam them through the wall but he controlled himself and glared down at the prone form on the bed.

He was so… white. Black lashes touched white cheekbones and made him seem even paler. And so small. He was so damn frail looking all of a sudden. The narrow chest moving up and down but only faintly. The only sign of any life left in him. What would this child be without the power that defined him?

For a long time they stood there side by side trying to figure out the answer to that question in silence. Until Rukia finally broke the silence.

"Where's Ichigo?"

* * *

TBC

Btw: Senka – is the technique that Byakuya used against Ichigo when Renji and he went to fetch Rukia. Just in case someone was wondering.


	12. Chapter 12

Impertinent little brat

Chapter 12: Hat-and-Clogs

* * *

What was Byakuya Kuchiki without his power?

The question had plagued Renji since it first reared its ugly head. Since Unohana-taichou had told him and Rukia that Byakuya may never fully recover from the Senka. But there were more to Byakuya than his power, wasn't it? The redhead stubbornly argued against his own inner voice that kept giving him a headache due to all the fearful thoughts that kept raging through his head.

Even with less power he was still… what? Prideful? Secretive? Temperamental to the point that most volcanoes would appear calm? Stubborn as an old goat?

Renji sighed and slumped down heavily on the chair next to his captain's bed. The boy still lay there. Unconscious and pale. Silent and still. If it weren't for the slight rise and fall of his chest he would appear dead.

Renji chewed on his lower lip and slowly reached out towards Byakuya, only to hesitate. His hand lowered and settled on the sheets, crumpling them and smoothing them out respectively.

But there were more to him, right? Not just the traits that would drive Renji half-mad with frustration. There had to be more qualities to his cap'n. There were more, it was just that Renji himself never saw them. No, that wasn't true, the redhead admitted. It wasn't that he didn't see them. He just didn't acknowledge them. He chose not to.

He had seen Byakuya's loyalties, and his sorrows. He had seen a boy who put up a front of strength even when the world crumbled around him, and he'd seen what lay beneath. The deeply and deftly hidden vulnerability.

And that was why he was suddenly certain that Byakuya would come out of this alright. His captain's strength was not limited to his reiatsu.

The redhead smiled, somewhat relieved by his own thoughts for once, and he gently extended his fingers to softly touch the skin of Byakuya's limp hand. He couldn't help but to caress the warm, smooth skin, probably more to calm himself than the unconscious boy. It felt good to be able to touch him, to somehow determine that he was there and…

The door opened and Renji quickly pulled his hand away and whipped his head around to see Rukia come inside. For some reason he felt embarrassed, as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn't.

"He's gonna be alright." He blurted out to his friend and hoped that she didn't notice the blush that he could feel burning on his cheeks.

Rukia gave him a bemused look and sat down on the chair on the other side of the bed. She attempted a smile but it looked strained. "I know. "

She didn't look as if she fully believed her own words but desperately tried to. There was a silent 'he has to be' hanging in the air.

"Have ya heard anythin'?" the redhead murmured. Again he felt his hand draw closer to his captain's and he quickly stopped it and tried to disguise the movement by raking it through his own unruly hair. He needed to wash it, he thought absentmindedly.

"Not… no. Yamamoto-taichou has sent scouts into Seireitei. Yoruichi-sama and Soi-fong-taichou has not come back. I don't know where Ichigo went."

"No one's seen him?" Renji asked. He wondered where Ichigo had gone. When had he disappeared? He'd been with them until they reached the fourth division, the redhead was sure of that, but then everything had seemed to go by so quickly. Everyone running around to save his captain's life and somewhere in the midst of it all Ichigo had gone missing. "He can take care of himself." He stated.

"Yeah." Rukia nodded. Another not-quite-there smile touched her face and then dropped suddenly when Byakuya moved. "Nii-sama?"

"Byakuya?" Renji echoed and bolted to his feet to hover over the boy.

Byakuya's impassive, pale face twisted in his sleep and his breathing sped up suddenly as if fighting against some invisible force.

"Renji!" Rukia cried out in alarm. "Get Unohana-taichou."

Renji cussed under his breath and ran.

* * *

It hurt to open his eyes and even when he did the eyelids felt swollen and sore. He had never hurt like this before and for a moment he lay there in shock. He had never imagined that anything could hurt this much. Or that he'd be too weak and tired to scream.

"Hush, Byakuya-kun." A gentle voice said. Calm and steady. "You're in a great deal of pain I know. You were attacked by assassins. Do you recall?"

He didn't, but he knew it to be true.

He tried to swallow, tried to clear his throat to speak, but he couldn't. It hurt.

"Here, have some water." That gentle voice said again, and a brown-haired woman came into view. She tilted his head up and held a glass of water to his lips. When it poured into his throat it felt like liquid ice but he savoured it. He was vaguely aware of that the glass was removed and he was lowered back down but he could no longer keep the sleep at bay. It crashed down on him like a mountain.

* * *

"There's no need to worry, Kuchiki-san, Abarai-fukutaichou. Byakuya-san is as fine as the circumstances allows. As expected he's merely confused and in pain." The captain of the fourth division said. Despite the calm tone of her voice Renji couldn't help but feel as if she chastised them for overreacting.

Renji nodded. He didn't care if he was being chastised so long as Byakuya was alright. Or even as alright as circumstances allowed.

"Unohana-taichou." Rukia spoke up suddenly, and Renji looked over to see his friend stop the captain from leaving the room. The brunette turned her head and nodded to Rukia to continue. "Are there… any other… things we need to know about?"

"He will be very tired and very weak until the damage is healed properly. The only thing you can do is to let him rest." The elder woman replied gently. Then before she left she added: "Don't upset him unnecessarily."

Renji couldn't help but think that that was easier said than done. He'd lived with Byakuya long enough to know that upset was something that came easily to him. The only way not to upset him would've been to not say anything at all. And even then that would probably irk the br… Byakuya. Well, maybe they could knock him out.

Renji sat back down on the chair by the bed and watched as Rukia did the same. He wondered if she was thinking the same thing as he was. Probably not.

"Well…" he began in an attempt to lighten the mood. "…at least we know he's doin' alright. Right?"

"Considering the circumstances…" Rukia finished bluntly. They sat in silence for a while, both in deep thought. Then suddenly Rukia spoke. "Renji?"

"Yeah?"

Rukia hesitated. For some reason whatever she was thinking about was making her uncomfortable. It was so unlike her that he couldn't help but feel worried.

"Nii-sama doesn't know me. Yet." She muttered. "I think… maybe I'd upset him if he woke to find me here."

Renji blinked. "What? Why would that upset him?"

"Because he doesn't know me, Renji." She insisted with some bitterness. "And if he found out…"

"He'd be happy." He interrupted. Of course he'd be happy to have a sister. Right?

But Rukia shook her head and stood up. "He never approved of me, Renji. He never looked at me until after Aizen's betrayal."

That baffled him and for a moment the redhead was speechless. He knew that Byakuya, at least not the adult one, wasn't much for being social or loving or caring (or most other things that came naturally to other people) but he'd always figured that Byakuya had showed at least Rukia a slightly warmer side of himself. She'd been adopted into the family for more then fifty years, for crying out loud!

"That's…" he began, but then shook his head fiercely and stood up from his seat. "He saved you from Gin. He… he loves you, Rukia."

Rukia didn't respond and wasn't looking at him, but kept her eyes averted. "I think it'd be better if I left, Renji. He knows you. He'd feel safer with you." She said slowly. Something in her voice told Renji that she had already made up her mind. "I… I'll go back to the Kuchiki household. Maybe one of them was behind this attack. I'll be more useful there."

Swiftly she walked past him and when he called out for her to stop she only paused in the doorway. Without looking back at him or her brother.

"Promise me that you'll look after him."

"Rukia…"

"Just promise me, Renji."

"Yeah… alright." The redhead promised. There was nothing he could've said to make her stay, was there? Was she right? Would her presence have upset Byakuya? Renji growled in frustration. He didn't know the answers to those questions.

Suddenly he was furious with Byakuya. The adult Byakuya version. How could he have treated his friend like that? Taking her away from him only to ignore her? He and Rukia had been like family, and Byakuya had just swooped in there and tore that to shreds, and for what? To treat her like he treated everyone else – like she didn't matter?

Glaring down at the unconscious boy he muttered: "We'll talk 'bout this."

And they sure as hell would, once the brat had turned into a bigger, taller brat.

* * *

Rukia felt disheartened when she left the fourth division. Her own words rang in her ears, and she only wished that they hadn't rung so true. She knew that she had made Renji angry with her brother, but she also knew that he'd protect him regardless. She only wished that she could be there when Byakuya awoke too, but at the same time the thought scared her. If he'd reject her… like he had before…? That would've hurt. And she didn't want to feel that sort of pain again. Maybe she was being selfish, or a coward, or…

"Rukia!"

Her head snapped up and her eyes widened when she heard that familiar voice. And just as she had expected she saw Ichigo come barrelling down the street towards her.

"Ichigo." She murmured, and when he stopped in front of her she frowned at him. He looked a mess, all sweaty and ruffled. "Where did you go? Did you go after the assassin?"

"Yeah. I figured I couldn't do much at the fourth so…"

"Did you get him?" she interrupted eagerly. "What did he say? Who did this to my brother?"

"I didn't catch him. Yoruichi told me to go get Hat-and-Clogs." Ichigo motioned towards the Kisuke Urahara who came walking towards them in a leisured pace. "She and Soi-fong went after the assassin."

"Urahara-san." Rukia greeted the blond man who responded with a lazy smile.

"Kuchiki-san. My, my, I hear you got quite the problem here."

"Yes," she nodded. "My brother…" she began and then remembered that she was not supposed to let people know exactly who the boy in the fourth were. She caught herself, glanced around and hoped that no one had heard the slip. At the same time she wondered how many times since coming to the fourth with her brother's bleeding body she had made that very same slip without realising it. Clearing her throat she told herself that it was not something she could worry about now. What was done, was done.

"I hear he's… reverted back into his former cheerful self." Urahara commented, making her instantly aware of a certain familiarity in his voice. Had he known her brother when he was younger?

"Yes." She replied lamely and peered at the former captain. "Did Yoruichi-sama send for you to help with his condition?"

The man leaned back on his heels in a thoughtful manner. "The growing instantly younger and losing of all memory part is an oddity." He said as if speaking to himself. "And oddities are my talent. The other part." He continued softly, obviously referring to the Senka. "I'm afraid is not within my power to help."

She nodded. Anything was better than nothing.

"Well then…" Urahara tilted his ever present hat at them. "I'll go check on… the patient."

"Where're you going?" Ichigo asked. It took Rukia a moment to get that he was talking to her and not to Urahara.

Straightening herself she made herself ready to have a rerun of the conversation she had just had with Renji.

"I'm going back to the Kuchiki compound. I need to find out if they had anything to do with this." She told her friend briskly but determinedly. Making sure that there was no room for argument although she knew that Ichigo never cared if there were room or not. He just made room if he needed it.

To her surprise he just nodded. "Yeah. I'll see if I can find Yoruichi and that assassin guy."

"Good."

* * *

Renji groaned and fought against awareness for a while, trying to go back into his dream which he had a vague inkling had been a pleasant one even if he couldn't recall what it had been about. Eventually he had to give the fight up, and he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

It was dark in the hospital room. The only light was coming from the moon that cast a pale square of light into the room.

He must have been asleep for a good while, he noted. The sun hadn't set when he fell asleep on the chair next to his captain's prone form. Right after Urahara's visit he guessed.

The blond man hadn't said much that made sense. He had "uhu"-ed and "ah"-ed while he had listened to what Renji could tell him about what he knew about Byakuya's condition. Which wasn't much.

Then he had proceeded to come up with some annoying gibes that did nothing to lighten the mood and walked out with a half-assed promise to… do something. Still it was a bit of a relief to have Urahara there: the man knew stuff, and what he didn't know he could figure out.

Groaning again the redhead stood up from his seat and stretched his arms above his head in an attempt to loosen his sore muscles. After sitting hunched on that chair for so long they felt like someone had stomped on them. Hard.

He glanced down at the boy on the bed. He was lying on his side now so Renji assumed that he had rolled over in his sleep. Was that a good sign? Was he getting better? But he hadn't woken up since that first time when Unohana-taichou had checked in on him.

Sighing Renji sat back down on his chair and leaned his head against the bedside. At least that gave his sore muscles some relief, and he refused to leave until he knew that Byakuya was well on the way on getting better.

* * *

The pain wasn't as severe as when last he opened his eyes but the fatigue made it difficult to open his eyes, or to even think for that matter. Quietly he came to the conclusion that he must be dying. There was no other way to explain this. Had he been poisoned? That would explain why he felt like this.

Frowning Byakuya opened his eyelids ever so slightly and stared into the face of the redhead baboon. He wondered briefly why this was the case. Had the man lost his mind completely?

His throat ached. Burned. He was thirsty, but was at the same time too fatigued to voice it or to even try.

Instead he lay motionless and stared at Renji who was drooling a bit on the sheet.

He was going to die. That was a numbing thought and he struggled quietly to come to terms with it in a manner that would've made his grandfather proud. Still there was a part of him that struggled fervently against it and screamed at him how unfair it was. Fair? You want fairness? He argued with himself bitterly. Life is not fair. Life just is. And then you die.

And that was what he was doing.

Thoughts of all the things he'd never see again, or do again made themselves reminded and he felt his eyes burn with tears. He tiredly blamed them on the poison. And then there were the things he'd never get to do, and those thoughts drew an even greater bitterness.

He'd never rise to Head of House and lead his clan as was his birthright.

He'd never become a shinigami.

He'd never get to see that wayward sister of his that Yoruichi had told him about. Where was that stupid cat anyway? Abandoned him, had she? Bitter though that thought was he quickly chided himself for it. He didn't need _her_.

And he'd never get to kiss anyone. Though that shouldn't be his greatest concern at the moment, as he lay dying, it suddenly felt like something very important. Probably the poison addling with his mind again. It was stupid, he told himself.

It was a simple act of lips pressing against lips. Hardly an important moment in one's life on the whole.

And still the fact that he'd miss out on it made him feel almost as bitter as the thought of loosing his birthright did. Almost.

Maybe it was just that it was the only thing he would have any chance of doing anything about. Because it was so insignificant maybe he had still some control over it?

If he died here though… he may die at any given moment. Poisons worked that way.

Renji.

Would he be his one chance?

That hardly seemed fair; he thought and was instantly reprimanded by himself with the usual argument about fairness.

Using whatever little strength that still resided in his dying body he scooted closer to the redhead. For a moment he just lay there, looking at the man in silence. This is stupid, he argued with himself. And he didn't care. If he couldn't have his birthright he could have this, however insignificant it may be on the greater scale of things.

So he closed the distance and kissed Renji's slack lips gently. He held still and analysed the sensation, and was surprised that the baboon's lips were soft against his own. It wasn't… an unpleasant feeling.

Then Renji groaned in his sleep and moved, cutting the kiss short.

"Stupid… baboon…" he whispered, though the words could hardly be heard even by his own ears. Yet he couldn't help the light tugging on his lips when a sense of satisfaction flowed through him and he went back to sleep.

* * *

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Impertinent little brat

Chapter 13: "The Enemy of my Enemy…" and all that.

* * *

Urahara found it "cute", something the blond former captain refused to let Renji forget even for a second. The redhead was starting to suspect that his face was gaining the same colour that his hair. The fact that the three captains regarded him with poorly hidden but clueless interest didn't make things any better. It made him feel like there was something there that he needed to explain. Which there was not!

And Urahara would only smile in that lazy but _knowing_ way that made Renji's cheek grow hotter by the second.

"Is there something that we should know about?" Ukitake-taichou finally asked in that gentle but also frighteningly perceptive way of his.

"Aren't there always, Ukitake-san?" Urahara replied, shooting Renji another _knowing_ look.

Renji stubbornly glared back. There was nothing to know! And it wasn't cute either.

"Oh?" Kyoraku-taichou said. His sly gaze darted between Renji and Urahara and the look in his eyes said that he'd caught scent of something interesting. He'd be like a dog with a bone.

Renji groaned inwardly.

When Urahara had come to wake him that morning Renji had been sleeping with his head on the side of his captain's bed. Nothing odd about that, was there? And the blond probably wouldn't have made a big deal out of it if it hadn't been for the fact that his currently-boy-captain's face had been resting inches from Renji's. But of course Byakuya's and his faces had been close, and of course the blond just had to walk in to see this, and of course he had to make it into something that it defiantly was not.

"Nothing of any note to Byakuya-kun's health, I assure you. Just an… interesting side note." The blond said, somehow managing to both say nothing and _something_ at the same time. The captains' interest was peeked.

Again their eyes turned to Renji and he wanted to be swallowed up by the floor. It was nothing. It was just that stupid Urahara making it into _something_.

"As for Byakuya-kun." Urahara continued. "Mayuri-san has been working on it and to make a long story short; we're dealing with someone quite ingenious at developing new and unseen uses of reiatsu."

"So it is a kido then?" Ukitake asked.

"Indeed it is. Mayuri-san finds it very interesting, and so do I. I would guess that he'll be tinkering with it with great vigour in the future." Urahara said. He paused and looked thoughtful.

"Planning to steal it away from Kurotsuchi-taichou so you can tinker with it yourself, Kisuke-san?" Kyoraku deadpanned.

"Ah, Kyoraku-san, I'd never _steal_ it."

"Just relieve Kurotsuchi-taichou from the trouble of figuring out its secrets on his own, then?" Unohana-taichou replied gently and smiled.

The blond smiled amiably.

"How about now? With Byakuya-kun hurt, can we break this kido without endangering him?" Ukitake-taichou asked Unohana.

"Actually I believe that given the circumstances it may aid him in his recovery."

"Really?" Renji hadn't meant to speak, but it had just blurted out of his mouth before he could stop himself. He hadn't even noticed that he had bolted up from the chair.

Again Urahara gave him that _knowing_ look and he felt his cheek blush again. And of course this caused the captains to once more give him those curious looks that were really starting to grate on his nerves.

"Yes." Unohana-taichou replied after the required pause where three captains tried to figure out something they knew would be _something_. "What we want is for Byakuya-kun to regain his full power as a shinigami."

"He'd have it no other way." Ukitake-taichou nodded, and they all nodded in agreement.

"Also I think Yama-jii would be loath to accept to be yet another captain down." Kyoraku-taichou added and Renji's eyes widened.

"But… he couldn't just…" his mouth was talking again, and the words tumbled over each other before he could run them though his brain. He paused to bring them back under control.

"Discharge Kuchiki-taichou?" Unohana-taichou finished. The look she gave him was mild but somehow still stern. "In times of war Yamamoto-taichou will do what he must, even if that entails discharging a weakened captain."

"But… but… the sixth division would be down a cap'n." Renji argued heatedly. A voice in the back of his mind pointed out that it may not be the best choice to go arguing with a bunch of captains, but now he was becoming angry. Yamamoto couldn't do that! How could any of them even think of doing that?

"The commander would find someone to fill in." Ukitake-taichou said.

"Like who?" Renji snapped. "Who could do that? The cap'n is…"

"You have obtained bankai, have you not? Abarai-fukutaichou?" Unohana-taichou asked mildly.

Whatever had been on the tip of his tongue was swooped away with those words, and Renji stopped. Stared. For a moment he was certain that she was kidding, but the serious looks on the faces around the table disputed that.

"Me? Are you nuts?" His mouth blurted out. Somewhere in the back of his mind that little voice groaned and shook its head. That was not any way to speak to a captain. "I couldn't be a cap'n!" _I couldn't be the cap'n._

"Why not? You have the strength, though it's not as refined as the commander would like, and Byakuya-kun seems to have showed you the ropes well enough." Kyoraku-taichou said.

Renji spluttered. Whatever words that should or should not have been spilling out of him seemed to have gotten clogged in his throat. He wanted to scream at them in rage but nothing came out. _That's not the way I wanna become a cap'n! Or even a fuckin' pseudo-cap'n! Dammit!_

"Eh…" Urahara interrupted the discussion, if it even could be called that. "Since this is not something that's actually a pressing point that needs to be resolved unless we fail miserably, which I hope we don't, let's get back to the point at hand, before Renji-kun burst a vein. Or blows up the room."

Not until then did he realise that his reiatsu was flaring along with his anger, and Renji quickly reigned it in. "Sorry…" he muttered, though his anger wouldn't allow him to say more than that. When he went to sit back down Urahara was giving him that _knowing_ look again, though he quickly hid it behind his fan. This time Renji was too pissed off to care.

"No matter, Abarai-fukutaichou. No harm done." Ukitake-taichou smiled.

"It's only natural for a fukutaichou to wish to protect his or hers taichou." Unohana-taichou filled in.

Kyoraku said nothing, only gave him a curious and somewhat mischievous look.

There was a pause when the occupants sat in silence trying to get back on track.

"Where were we?" Kyoraku asked after awhile.

"I think Retsu-san was going to tell us about the advantages of breaking the kido on Byakuya-kun." Ukitake replied.

The dark haired woman nodded her thanks at the other captain. "The kido may disrupt Byakuya-kun's reiatsu recovery rate if we let it remain and stop him from regaining his full strength. If we break the kido it stands to reason that his reiatsu will return to normal once the damage of the senka is healed. However, due to the damage dealt by the senka, the breaking of the kido will put a great strain on his body. "

Renji felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Is he strong enough to go through it?" Ukitake asked with a note of grimfaced worry.

Unohana was silent. She wasn't hesitating exactly but was considering the question. Renji realised that he was holding his breath and forced himself to breathe. "I believe that he is. Though once it is done he will be weak and I would rather prefer that he remains in my care until I'm satisfied that he has recovered. "

"I think we can arrange that. " Kyoraku smiled. "We have the outmost confidence in your skills, Retsu-chan."

The woman smiled. "I have no doubt that you will allow it, Shunsui-san, I was more worried of what Byakuya-kun would have to say about the issue."

"Oh. Yes, you're right. He never has liked just lying around has he?" Kyoraku said thoughtfully.

"I heard you had to tie him to the bed once, Unohana-san." Urahara chimed in.

"Of course I did no such thing." Unohana replied calmly, and the captains and Urahara chuckled. Renji felt like he was missing something.

"But the cap'n will be alright then? Right? If we break that kido he'll be alright?" Renji asked impatiently and frowned. He was starting to feel that they were not taking this serious enough. They were just sitting there, exchanging pleasantries and joking, while they should get going and help his cap'n.

Unohana looked at him. "I don't know, Abarai-fukutaichou. He'll still need to recover from the Senka, and that is no simple task. There is no way to tell how much or how little of his reiatsu will be recovered. But I believe that once the kido is gone it will heighten his chances of a full recovery."

"Oh…" he muttered. So there was still a risk that Byakuya wouldn't… "Damn."

"There's something else we should consider." Ukitake said suddenly and looked serious. "Who placed the kido on Byakuya-kun to begin with?"

* * *

Yoruichi Shihoin was not a person who was accustomed to rage. Rage in others she was more than accustomed to; she enjoyed bringing them to that point even. It was a fault of hers, and one she enjoyed greatly so she had never been overly concerned about it. But her own rage was something almost alien to her. _"Don't get angry, get even" _was the motto she had acquired from the action heroes on TV. It suited her.

She was well aware of that Soifon was keeping her under close watch at the moment. The other woman could see her anger too, and much like her it was something that she didn't quite know how to handle, so she had settled for keeping a safe distance and a close eye on her. Lest she'd do something regrettable to the man they had chained to a chair.

The assassin's head was hanging forward and light snores were coming from him.

"Yoruichi-sama." Soifon said, dragging the cat's attention away from the man.

"Don't call me that, Soifong. It's Yoruichi." She gruffly replied. She could feel impatience clawing in her, creeping under her skin like worms. It was not an emotion that she, as a former member and captain of the second division and the Onmitsukido, should feel. They were trained for these sorts of situation and she knew that impatience would only breed mishaps.

At least the other woman didn't argue with her. "Yoruichi. We should bring him back to Seireitei. He can be questioned there."

"No. They will take too long." she replied. She was going to make that bastard talk now.

Soifon was silent, turned around and continued to gaze out the window as she had done on and off since they'd dragged the assassin there. "Are you going to torture him?"

The dark skinned woman gritted her teeth.

"No. Right now I'm in no condition to torture anyone. I'm too angry. I might make a mistake and kill him." She admitted. She needed to stifle her rage before she did anything. Even then the prospect of torturing someone didn't sit well with her, but she knew that she was growing short on options.

Soifon turned her head and looked at her with a frown. Then she nodded.

"Go see how Kuchiki is."

Yoruichi shook her head. She couldn't do that right now even if she wanted to. If Bya-bo was alright, yes then that would calm her. If he wasn't… she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to keep this rage under control.

She shouldn't just have dropped him off at Renji's. How could she have been so stupid? She should have gone with him and made sure that the red head was there to protect him. She must have grown dumber with age, much the same way that human's grew bald or wrinkly.

And that was why she was so angry wasn't it? It wasn't because of the assassin; thought that certainly did nothing to calm her. She was angry at herself.

She made a mistake and because of that Bya-bo…

"I'll go get food." She announced. Even to her own ears her voice sounded flinty and barely restrained.

Before Soifon had a chance to reply Yoruichi had walked out of the small, haggard looking house they occupied, and carefully closed the door behind her. She needed to restrain her anger, he told herself again. It was a struggle. How did you restrain yourself from wanting to beat yourself into a pulp?

Taking a deep breath she tried to relax herself, but her muscles were wired taut to the pain where she was starting to develop a headache and it was no use.

Food.

She was going to get food.

Yoruichi was not particularly hungry but something told her that perhaps if she occupied herself doing something instead of doing nothing, maybe she could wrench this rage under her control.

It wasn't far to the store and even the people in this part of Rukongai knew better than to bother her. Still she walked around for a bit before going to the store in hopes to vent a bit of anger. It didn't work.

"Gimme the monies here." The dirty brat in the store said and held out one hand. In the other he held the food in a vice like grip. Yoruichi suspected that she'd have to pry it from his cold, dead hands rather than he'd give the food away before getting paid.

Rukongai could be rough.

The people living there had risen to the occasion and acted accordingly. What else could one require? It was no different than living in the nobles' world, except in wealth. Both worlds had their share of trapdoors and…

"Hey. Ya want the food or not?" the brat interrupted her thoughts rudely.

"Ah." She muttered and handed him the money. Obviously age was also making her distracted.

She grabbed the food and left.

Was she giving in to self-loathing, she wondered and contemplated this while she walked the same round back to the house. She was in no hurry to get back yet, seeing as the rage hadn't dissipated in the least. It wasn't as if Soifon would let the assassin get anywhere.

It was then that she heard the voices coming from the alley. She stopped and pricked her ears not so much because it was uncommon to hear angry voices in Rukongai, but because those angry voices rarely came from alleys and when they did they usually belonged to people not familiar with the golden rule "when in Rukongai avoid dark alleys. And if you cannot; then for the love of Kami-sama, at least avoid attracting attention to the fact that you're in said dark alley." This rule applied during daytime too and only shinigami or complete idiots would ignore this rule.

"…in deep shit! We should go tell the captain what we did!"

"No!"

"But we have to fix this! Sentarou!" the female voice screeched. Moments later a man with dark hair and headband came rushing out of the alley, closely followed by a woman with short blond hair. "Stop! We have to tell Ukitake-taichou!"

"What? Are you insane, Kiyone? Tell the captain what?" the man snapped, whirled around and glared at her. The fact that the woman wasn't the least bit surprised by this told Yoruichi that these two probably had had this fight before.

"Everything!" she screamed. "We have to tell him everything! It's because of us that Kuchiki-taichou is…!"

Yoruichi's eyes widened.

"Shhh!" the man covered her mouth before she could continue. "Lower your voice. Do you want the whole of Rukongai to hear you? Listen. If we go back to that old woman and make her break the kido, no harm's done, right? You heard what Ukitake-taichou said. The breaking of the kido will help. We can go back to our lives and everything will be fine."

"It's too late, Sentarou! We… eeek!" the blond woman stumbled back when Yoruichi flash stepped and landed between them.

"You will come with me." she said and by the look on their faces she guessed that she looked just as angry as she was.

* * *

"Problems, Rukia-chan?" asked Akihiko with feigned concern. It had to be feigned Rukia knew because there was no way he'd care for real.

"Nothing of great concern, Akihiko-sama." She replied and tried to seem nonchalant as she approached her brother's cousin.

Akihiko was dressed according to his stature; in red and white silk. Tasteful yet rich in the kind of way you could expect from someone very rich and who had no particular need to engrave that fact that he was very rich by adding unnecessary accessories. In essence he was the accessory to the clothes.

"That is good to hear. I worried, seeing as you ran of so quickly the other day." He smiled.

This she knew was his careful way of prodding for information. She had only been at the Kuchiki household for a few short hours and she was already longing to go back to her division where the words spoken meant nothing more than exactly what they were.

"Just a minor inconvenience. I hope I didn't offend you in any way, Akihiko-sama." She replied carefully.

She couldn't help but wonder; when her brother had been hurt the other day she was not the only person who had felt the surge of his reiatsu. Akihiko had even commented on it so obviously he too had felt it, and yet so far he had not asked her about it.

Why?

"I see. Would you care to join me for dinner this evening? Surely you long for some proper food after spending time dealing with the problems of the Gotei thirteen. I can only imagine how draining it must be." He offered.

"It would be my pleasure, Akihiko-sama."

* * *

"Yoruichi-sama!" Soifon exclaimed when the dark skinned woman shoved the two seated officers into the house. The other woman frowned and looked at the two apprehensive shinigami. "Why have you brought these two here?"

Yoruichi gave the two a steady glare. "Explain."

The assassin seemed to have woken up during the commotion and now he too was listening intently. It didn't matter. He wasn't going anywhere.

"I don't know w…" the man, Sentarou began but was silenced by Kiyone's fist to his arm.

"Be quite, you idiot." She snapped and then turned toward the captain of the second division. Despite the fact that she was trembling the woman straightened herself carefully before bowing deep. "I'm sorry, Soifon-taichou. It was us."

"You?" the captain frowned.

"They were the ones who put the kido on Bya-bo." Yoruichi nodded. For some reason she felt calmer now. Perhaps it was because she was finally getting some answers about this whole mess. "Commissioned it at least."

"You two?" Soifon's eyes would've made ice seem warm. She didn't question the revelation though, trusting Yoruichi's word.

"It was just a prank." Sentarou whimpered under the weight of that glare. He had already had to go through a similar experience with Yoruichi herself not long ago.

"A prank?" Soifon didn't have much patience for pranks even on a good day. This was not a good day. "Do you consider it a prank to target a captain of the Gotei thirteen?"

"It… wasn't like that… we just wanted to teach him a lesson…" the man struggled to explain himself. Kiyone remained silent, obviously resigned to her fate. "Kuchiki-taichou was… he just walked past Ukitake-taichou without a word when Ukitake-taichou nearly collapsed and… and we just wanted him to feel what it's like to be… weak and in need of help… and then the old woman said…"

"Enough." Soifon bit out and the man cowered. She straightened herself to her full height. She glared at the two shinigami. "You have attacked a captain of the Gotei thirteen. I do not need to hear your reasons for doing so. You may save your excuses for when you speak of this to the commander."

At the mention of Yamamoto the two visibly wilted.

"They commissioned the kido from a woman here in Rukongai. Bring her to Bya-bo. Take those two with you." Yoruichi said, and when Soifon nodded curtly before walking out with the two other shinigami, she realised something.

The anger that seemed to have cooled down in her was not gone by any means. It had grown cold and sharp. It was a calculating anger that was like steel in her core. This was anger that she could work with, and now she turned around to look at the assassin who was still chained to the chair. For the first time she saw fear in his eyes.

* * *

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Impertinent little brat

Chapter 14: Back to normal

* * *

Many of the captains of the Gotei thirteen understood diplomacy. They understood the need for it when in a 'delicate' situation, and they understood the fine art of quiet and delicate diplomacy when within earshot of those of lower rank.

The obvious exception was Kenpachi, because the man didn't much care for anything that couldn't be settled with a nice brawl. This was such common knowledge that it was the Truth and no one expected anything else than the Truth.

The less obvious exception now came marching through the gate to Seireitei. She was stomping in a completely and inexplicable soundless manner which showed more than let anyone hear how disgruntled she was. Behind her walked two cowering shinigami and an elderly woman who made a passable imitation of nerves of steel so long as you didn't take the time to look and note the haunted look in her eyes.

Other shinigami quickly got out of Soifon's way and the moment the small group had passed the gates, and had gone far enough so that the other shinigami suspected that the captain couldn't hear them, the gossip started flooding.

Soifon did not care for diplomacy any more than Kenpachi, but when Soifon brawled it was in the dark, cold places of the world where no one could hear you scream. This thought ran through Sentarou's head while he trudged on behind the second division's captain, already feeling as if he were in chains and being dragged to his own execution.

"Where are we going, do you think?" he asked Kiyone. He didn't need her to answer but he needed to talk, and that really was the only thing he could think of saying.

The blond woman looked up with a look of both misery and a "where do you think, moron?" etched to her face.

"Probably to the prison, right? Just for safe keeping. Right?" He was aware that his voice hade taken on a note of desperation but no matter what he did he couldn't seem to shake it. "I mean we didn't really do anything… not really!"

He would've walked into the rigid back of Soifon if there suddenly hadn't been a sword pointed at his face. He gulped. On the other end of the sword stood Soifon.

"You." She said. Her voice reminded him of dark, cold places and invisible sharp knives. "You attacked a captain. This is treason."

"But…"

"I will not take you to the prison." She continued. A small smile quirked her lips. This too reminded him of those dark nasty places he'd rather not know. "I will take you to Yamamoto-taichou. Plead your case to him. "

She turned and started walking again. Then added: "Yamamoto-taichou don't look kindly on feeble excuses."

* * *

The old woman called herself Chika Izanami but the fine name and her ragged appearance clashed so vehemently it was laughable. Renji suspected it wasn't her real name. She certainly didn't resemble the Izanami of the legend. But he didn't particularly care what she called herself so long as she could do what she claimed that she could. Which was to break the kido on Byakuya without endangering him in the slightest. The non-stop steady glare from Soifon may have something to do with her constant assurance that no harm would come to Byakuya.

No one glared like Soifon. Except for Byakuya but he was in no condition to glare, seeing as those few times he awoke he could barely keep his eyes open for more than a few minutes at the time. The second division's captain was a good substitute.

"I assure you ladies and gentlemen. I've been doin' this for the longest time. I know what I'm doing." Chika whined pitifully while she made the preparations for the… the kido-breaking business.

It didn't surprise Renji that she whined like a kicked puppy. Anyone would whine under the heavy scrutiny of three captains. Well two captains and one former one. Ukitake-taichou had left in a hurry some time ago with a stammered excuse that he had business to attend to. Kyoraku had gone with him so Renji assumed that it would be the serious sort of business.

"You had better." Soifon replied. Her glare didn't waver.

"Oh, I do! I do! My ol' mama herself taught me all that she knew an' I've been doin' this for so long that…"

"I don't care. Just get on with it." Soifon snapped.

The old woman bowed her head and continued grinding the herbs into the bowl. Renji thought he heard her mutter something under her breath that sounded like _'Been doing this for longer than you've been alive, girl.'_

"What was that?" Soifon asked icily.

"Nothin', nothin'," Chika quickly said. "Nothin' at all. I didn't say nothin'."

Soifon's glare hardened.

"My, my," Urahara commented lazily from his seat by the window. "Such chilly weather we're having. Have the winter come early this year?"

Soifon's glare was redirected towards him, and if possible it seemed even icier than before. Urahara fanned himself and met her gaze calmly while Unohana sat down across from the furiously working Chika and regarded her progress with a gentle smile.

"Please, Izanami-san. Explain this process to me whilst you work." She said softly. "I'm curious to learn how you came about it. "

The old woman looked up. "My mother taught me the power of herbs." She began and when the captain of the forth division nodded for her to continue she cleared her throat. "I… I always had some talent with… with your sort of power…"

"Reiatsu."

"Yes. I had some talent with… reiatsu. Not enough to become a shinigami in those days but… but I thought that perhaps I could use it in the herbs. To enhance its powers."

"And the kido? How did you think of that?" Unohana prompted. Now both Urahara and Soifon were listening intently.

The old woman shrugged. "I didn't know what it was called. I just… " she made a vague gesture.

"I see." Unohana said softly. She paused. "You protested when you heard that we were going to break this kido. Would this be because of the combination of herbs and kido?"

"Yes, shinigami-sama. The herbs carry the… the kido into the blood. Breaking it in any other manner would be… it would… not be good." Chika muttered. "I'm sorry."

"Would it have killed him?"

"Maybe. It would've harmed him. I don't know how badly."

"Why would you make that sort of kido?" Soifon asked sharply and the old woman jumped at the sudden interruption.

"I'm sorry..." she stuttered. "I didn't know what… who it would be used against..!"

"And you didn't bother to ask?"

Suddenly the old woman's eyes weren't wide and fearful anymore. She met Soifon's glare head on and straightened indignantly. "I wouldn't survive long in Rukongai if I grilled my costumers for such information, shinigami-sama."

Soifon glared at the woman for a moment. Then swiftly turned and walked away.

"I need to return to Yourichi-sama." She said in clipped tones before leaving.

* * *

"You're not as good at this as you believe yourself to be. I am sorry that I didn't get to meet you in your prime. I've heard you were quite fearsome in those days. "

Yoruichi ignored the not so subtle taunt and walked calmly across the floor. She stopped in front of the assassin but didn't give any sign that she was listening or even acknowledging his existence.

"I'm curious." He continued and lifted his head to look at her. "How would letting me sit here in my lonesome, staring at nothing make me speak to you?"

She didn't reply. He was already speaking. Once they started it was just a matter of steering the talk in the favourable direction. Sometimes silence was the best carrot. People tended to feel uncomfortable when silence was the only answer.

Then they felt compelled to fill it with their own voice.

She just had to bide her time.

She knew Byakuya could hold his own for that time.

* * *

Rukia stood in the doorway to her room, gazing past the lush garden in the direction of the Forth division. She couldn't see the actual building from here but she knew exactly where it was and she had to fight down the urge to run across the garden, jump the wall and race over the rooftops to reach it. She wanted to be there to see to her brother's health, not stuck here, dressed up like some doll just so that she could go to a dinner with a man she loathed.

A man that looked deceivingly like Byakuya but that she doubted had ever said a true word in his life. At least not to her. Except for that one time right after her adoption had taken place, when he had turned up at the house in a flurry.

"Another filthy street rat, cousin?" That had been the words he had said back then. "Will you gather them all in our house? An army of rats. Gnawing away at our heritage…"

She could still remember the clothes he wore that day; Rich clothes. Jewels and silks. Had he gone anywhere near Rukongai dressed like that he'd have been either robbed or raped. Probably both.

She had been impressed by the clothes back then.

And she had wondered why her brother who obviously stood higher in rank than his cousin wore such simple clothing in comparison. Only later had she reflected that perhaps her brother merely found it unnecessary to use accessories to enhance his status. He didn't need it. Everyone knew Byakuya Kuchiki.

"Our heritage, Akihiko?"

A small smile graced her lips when she remembered her brother's words.

"May I remind you that your only heritage is what your father choose to lend you. This has nothing to do with me or this household. You may leave us."

That too had been something that she hadn't been able to understand back then. She hadn't been well versed in reading between the lines then. Truth be told she had felt angry that he hadn't defended her when his cousin had called her a rat. Years in the Kuchiki household had helped her in the art of hearing what is not said. Translated into Rukon-words, her brother had said; "Yer scum. Get lost."

She wondered idly what Byakuya would think about her translating what he said into common language when there was a soft knock from the door.

Time for that wretched dinner.

Sighing she closed the door to the garden.

"Yes?" she called, picked up her zanpakuto and hid it under the kimono.

"Akihiko-sama requests your presence, Rukia-sama." Came the meek reply and the door slid open to reveal a servant girl.

She nodded and stepped passed her.

"Please follow me, Rukia-sama." The girl added and led the way through the house. As if Rukia couldn't find her own way through a house where she'd lived for fifty years. But that was the way of nobility, though with her brother around such ridiculous behaviour was kept to a minimum. Byakuya would never admit it but she knew that he had little patience for formality drawn to the heights of the extreme.

Rukia had been deep in thought and hadn't noted the way they walked, so when the door was opened for her she stopped in her tracks. She couldn't stop the words from blurting out of her mouth:

"What is _this_?"

* * *

He was still pale as a ghost and his breathing was still coming in much too shallow breaths, but, and this was the important part to Renji, he would be alright. The kido had been broken, though Renji would be the first to admit that he didn't understand how.

The old woman had poured something down his captain's throat and then she had been jumping around, flapping her arms like a seagull hoping to take flight, and there had been a bunch of flashy lights… which had dimmed in a decisively anti-climatic way. And then Byakuya had just aged, in the rapid sort of way that Ichigo had showed Renji plant doing on that TV-thing. His friend had called it a nature-show, or something. Renji had wondered how they'd made the plants grow that quickly.

"Yer a big boy now, taichou." The redhead mumbled. Then he heard how utterly ridiculous that sounded and he snorted with laugher. He continued to laugh to himself, at himself, in the room that now only occupied himself and his unconscious captain.

"Oh… thank gods yer unconscious, taichou…" he babbled to the sleeping captain between breaths and laugher. "'cause… 'cause ya would… kill me if ya heard me…"

"How do you know that he doesn't?"

Renji yelped and nearly fell off his chair.

Whipping around he found Urahara standing at the door, partly hiding behind his fan as usual. Renji wondered if the man thought it made him look mysterious or romantic somehow. For Renji's part it only gave him an urge to beat him over the head with it.

"Urahara, what… er… ya kinda scared me." Renji stopped himself from yelling at the man for not knocking before entering, or at least making his presence known in some way. He didn't want to wake his captain, and Urahara had been helpful. Even if his help had turned out to be mostly unnecessary.

"Really? I certainly didn't mean to." The blond replied, which to Renji meant that that had been exactly his intention all along. He came into the room and closed the door behind him before padding over to the bed. "Looks a tad pale, don't you think?"

"Well he almost got killed." Renji said quickly. It annoyed him how critical Urahara sounded.

"Ah, of course. Rather careless of him, wouldn't you say?"

What the hell?

Renji hadn't meant to stand up but by the time he realised that he was already standing so he went with it. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Urahara wasn't looking at him but kept his gaze on Byakuya.

"You're very protective, Renji." The blond commented, and now his eyes flittered from Byakuya to Renji, pinning the redhead with that _knowing_ look again. The man was worse than Yachiru when she found a new toy. There was nothing to know, dammit! And what was wasn't cute in any damn way!

"What of it?" he huffed in annoyance and sat back down. That stupid Urahara was just teasing him… pulling his damn leg like it was a chew-toy. "I'm supposed to protect him, he's my cap'n."

Urahara didn't reply but Renji had a feeling that the man was laughing at him.

"It's cute." The blond beamed at him.

Renji scowled.

"Adorable really."

Renji put some extra effort into his scowl. Urahara fanned himself and gave him _that_ look again.

"Very sweet."

Renji decided to ignore him lest he'd really end up beating the man up and waking his captain.

Eventually Urahara left. Probably feeling that he had bestowed some sort of twisted wisdom on the redhead… or he was just toying with him. Yep that was it.

Renji leaned back in his chair and put the ordeal out of his mind. When Ichigo entered a few hours later he came bearing gifts in the form of dinner which he happily (after some good natured begging and threatening) shared with the redhead.

"You know..." Ichigo said while they sat by the window. He paused to wolf down another mouthful of rice. "…I'd have though you'd be up at Yamamoto's with the cap'ns. How's he anyway?" his friend nodded towards Byakuya.

"Unohana-taichou says he's gonna be alright. Just needs a whole lotta rest." Renji yawned and happily patted his full stomach. "Why'd I be up there?"

"I ain't surprised. Byakuya's like an old boot tho'." Ichigo temporarily ignored his question.

"Huh?"

"Tough."

"Oh." Renji chuckled. "Don't think he'd like bein' compared with a boot."

"Probably not." Ichigo grinned and slumped down in the chair. "So what do you think's gonna happen?"

Renji shrugged. "He'll get back to work as usual."

"Yeah, yeah… I meant about Sentarou and Kiyone."

"What 'bout them?"

Ichigo went rigid and stared at him. The rice he'd been scooping up fell from his chopsticks. "Fuck… they didn't tell you, huh?"

"Tell me what?" Renji frowned, but did so lazily because he felt that in his current state of well fed mind nothing could upset him.

One minute later he was barging down the hall closely followed by Ichigo.

* * *

"What is the matter, Rukia-chan?" Akihiko asked and reclined on the pillows. He inclined his head and looked around. "It is the dining room of the Head of the Kuchiki clan. Many generations of great leaders have dined here."

"It's my brother's…"

"So it is." Akihiko smiled. "What do you think, Akane? Do you believe that Byakuya would mind us using his dining room?"

"Absolutely." His sister replied curtly.

"Oh." Her brother looked crestfallen. "Well he's not here, so let us not tell him about our little faux-pas. Come, Rukia-chan. Let us dine."

"We shouldn't…" she began.

"It will be our little secret. Come now, Rukia-chan, is it really such a… big deal? It is only a room."

"It is the room of the Head of House." She replied stoically, noting the way Akihiko used "common" lingo. As if he was trying to put her at ease.

"But yet just a room. The common dining room is in the process of being redecorated, all according to a request made by our cousin." Akane said in a sultry tone. "Surely he doesn't expect us to eat off the floor."

He wouldn't expect you to eat here at all, Rukia thought bitterly.

This was not going the way that she was expecting it to; in her mind this would be the great reveal where Akihiko and his sister confessed to their plot and continued to challenge her to try to stop it. That way she could beat the hell out of them. She knew that neither twin was particularly strong with their reiatsu, certainly no match for the average shinigami of the Gotei thirteen. Instead they were being… courteous? Friendly? At least Akihiko was.

It threw her off.

She sat down across from the twins. There had to be something more going on here. They had to be involved somehow. It was all too… convenient. Akihiko and Akane rarely showed their faces anywhere near the main house, no doubt knowing that Byakuya would take any excuse to throw them back out, and now they both showed up here? At a time like this?

It was…

Something was wrong. She just didn't know what it was yet, and the only way of finding out seemed to be to play along.

"I think we should have some sake. Don't you agree, Rukia-chan?"

* * *

"You wanna know something funny?" the assassin asked his still unresponsive captor. He faintly felt that there was something wrong with the way this so called interrogation was going seeing as he was the one asking the questions and the interrogator was keeping her mouth shut. He shrugged it off. "Look at this mark. Yeah, right there on my neck. You know what that is? That's a kido seal. My employer put it there. Wanna know what it does?"

The dark skinned woman didn't reply, but he felt that he held her interest and for some reason he felt oddly flattered by that. It was almost as if it made him feel better about this whole situation to know that he'd finally said something of interest to her.

So he continued to talk, because it really was a nasty feeling to be talking to someone who didn't care what you said. "It kills me. If I say the wrong sorta thing, you know. Like for instance, the name of my employer. Yep, I'm dead if I do, see?"

He grinned when her eyes finally looked his way. For the first time in hours she was looking at him.

"So why should I tell you?" he finished.

"Because if you do not." A voice cut through the small room like a knife. He hadn't even noticed the other woman entering, he'd been so preoccupied with the first one. "We will leave your fate in the hands of Byakuya Kuchiki."

He scoffed. "And why would you do that, little lady?"

"The boy you attacked…" she replied.

"What of the cub? He's got a connection to the Kuchikis?"

"He _is_ Byakuya Kuchiki." the dark skinned one's voice said. Her voice was low but steady and gave no room for argument.

"Ah…" the man leaned back against the chair heavily. For a moment he said nothing and then he started laughing. "You've gotta love it, don't you? Nobles and their schemes… drag the world down with 'em if they gotta. Don't care 'bout the little man tryin' to make a livin'. It's just a nice mess they got me into this time around, eh?"

Neither of the women replied. He wondered idly if they had silently agreed not to. Let the nice prisoner do the talking, eh? What a nasty trick to pull.

"Should I tell you; I die. No way around that. If I don't you'll leave me in the loving care of the Kuchikis. Attacking their… what? The dude on top… or whatever… what chance would I have? It's all real neat you know, all figured out, right? Bet he thought I'd never tell, and his back would be clear, right? And if I tell his back's still clear."

"Who?" the dark skinned one asked, couching down to look him straight in the eye. She really did have nice eyes, he decided. He never could resist a woman with pretty eyes.

He told her.

And then he died neatly when the kido reacted and his heart simply stopped beating in his chest. It took a few more moments before his brain truly died and in that time he saw the two women rushing out of the house. He absentmindedly hoped someone would find and bury his corpse before it began to rot.

* * *

The corridors of the fourth division were not very crowded, in fact they were nearly deserted since the vast majority of shinigami seemed to have raced to the square. Some sort of questioning was being held in that boring old hall where the captain commander resided, and although it seemed that most shinigami were yet ignorant of exactly what the questioning was about it was apparent that it was something interesting. And like rats they flocked to the smelly cheese, leaving their divisions open. Only the unlucky few who had drawn the shortest stick remained, and those were easy enough to avoid.

He had never been particularly strong with reiatsu; the family had known it, his father had known it, even his wretched sister had known it, and they had all taunted him for it. Not to his face of course, but certainly behind his back. He knew they did. And because of that his cousin had been chosen the legitimate heir instead of him, despite the fact that he had been just a damned brat.

No, Akihiko had not been strong in reiatsu, but he had learned shunpo while watching that fool cousin of his and that traitorous cat wench frolic back in the day. Now it served him well in avoiding whatever guarding eye may be around.

It took little effort on his part to slip into the room unnoticed. This so called Gotei thirteen should defiantly inspect their security, his fathers guards would never have let someone slip past them this easily.

* * *

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

Impertinent little brat

Chapter 15: And so it's The End

* * *

There was little light from outside. Heavy rain clouds gathered on the dark sky and an ominous thunder crackled. A storm was coming, and Akihiko suspected that there would be somewhat stormy within the family for a while too once he finished. The weather fit perfectly.

The dark did make it a tad difficult to walk with the dignity he wished though, and he had to force himself not to fumble in the darkness. He'd never had the best night vision.

He bit down a curse when he stubbed his toe against what he could only assume was a chair. Pushing the furniture aside he squinted down at his cousin.

This should be when he woke up to plead for his life. That really would have made the scene perfect, but Byakuya, as always, disappointed him.

He idly wondered if he would have time to wait for the man to wake up. He wanted the man to see that it was he who was going to kill him. He had imagined that moment of triumph many times.

"Cousin." He muttered lowly, trying to rouse the unconscious man without speaking too loudly lest someone may be alarmed of his presence, but Byakuya remained unresponsive.

Akihiko frowned in dismay. This was not the way it was supposed to go.

How inconsiderate.

The sound of loud voices interrupted his thoughts and he turned quickly, stubbing his toe again on the same chair as before.

"…bastards! How the hell could those damn bastards…! Gods dammit it!" A furious voice resounded throughout the fourth.

"Renji! Dammit would you slow the hell down, asshole! Hey, don't punch _me_!" Another, equally irate, voice argued.

There was a loud bang.

"Feeling better?" the second voice asked. "Wanna punch some more walls?"

"Shut the hell up, Ichigo." The first voice growled, closer to the door now. Whatever was said after that Akihiko didn't know or cared to know. He quickly gathered up his unconscious cousin, slung him over a shoulder and ran for the window. He slipped on something and nearly barged straight into the window, but managed to catch himself and threw it open.

He was gone in a flash.

* * *

Rukia lay on her side. She suspected that her eyes were wide open but no other part of her was responding. Her eyes met with Akane's and she wondered if her own face was a reflection of the older woman's pale horror.

What had Akihiko done to them? It must've been the sake… something in it? Poison? Why couldn't she move?

Akane's face was just as beautiful as always, but now she looked paler and her eyes was starting to dim. No! Rukia wanted to scream at the other woman but her mouth wouldn't move. Don't give in! Don't give up!

Slowly Akane's eyelids fluttered closed.

* * *

"Shihoin-sama, please! Kuchiki-sama is dining and do not wish to be disturbed." The servant girl pleaded, hurrying after Yoruichi and Soifon through the corridors of the Kuchiki house. Some guards were trailing them as well, looking rather forlorn about what they ought to do. Certainly they had been invaded, somehow, by two women who didn't seem inclined to even spare them a glance, but they didn't seem like bad people. In fact Huuori remembered Shihoin-sama from many years ago when his father had let him come along to the Kuchiki compound. _"Best way to learn the job is by starting out early"_ his father had said, and obviously he'd lived by this rule since Huuori hadn't been more than five when he first started to accompany his father.

Yes, he remembered Shihoin-sama's visits back then. How could he not? They were legendary. Legendary in the way that caused every servant to scramble to pin down what could be pinned down, tuck away all the priceless and regrettably very breakable heirlooms and some even went as far as to shove cotton in their ears. The long bouts of yelling matches between Shihoin-sama and Kuchiki-sama tended to put strain on the most hardened of ears.

So Huuori suspected this was not an 'attack'. Attacks tended to involve a lot more yelling and screaming, not to mention a lot of fighting and bloodshed. Yet the two women had invaded the compound without notice or invite and that was not to be had, so he ran past the servant girl and stopped in front of the women.

"Are you going to fight us?" the shorter woman asked testily.

"I will not, Soifon-sama. Unless no other alternative presents itself or you would deign to threaten the Kuchiki family." He replied and bowed. "I do however wish to make you aware of the breach of etiquette your invasion of this compound is causing. I cannot let you continue."

"Breach of etiquette?" Soifon nearly spat.

"Invasion?" Yoruichi commented with some amusement.

Huuori decided that she was the one he ought to speak to, she seemed more reasonable. "Yes, Shihoin-sama. An invasion is, as you know, an armed force of one geopolitical entity aggressively entering territory controlled by another such entity, generally with the objective of either conquering, liberating or re-establishing control or authority over a territory. With the manner in which you have entered Kuchiki grounds I cannot draw any other conclusion of your acts thus far."

"That's ridiculous." Soifon snapped.

"Actually I think he's got us there, Soifon. We are armed and neither of us belongs to the Kuchiki family, and we both know the reason for us being here. Heh, I guess we have invaded the Kuchiki compound." Yoruichi grinned.

Soifon seemed to want to protest but one look from the other woman silenced her. Yoruichi's yellow eyes turned back to him.

"Would you inform Kuchiki-sama of our presence?"

"Yes, Shihoin-sama." He bowed again and waved the servant girl away to do just that. When the girl hurried off Huuori turned to his guards and told them to get back to their posts while he stayed with the invaders.

Soifon looked furious.

Yoruichi looked… thoughtful.

"I think I remember you. You have been here a long time, haven't you?" she asked him.

"Yes, Shihoin-sama. I'm Huuori Nuituji, Head guard of the Kuchiki compound. My family have been guards of the family for generations. I…" he hesitated. "…I was very young last time I met you, Shihoin-sama. I'm honoured that you remember me."

"Huuori…" the dark skinned noble nodded. "Yes, you were the boy who fell into the pond while trying to catch the koi. "

"Er… yes, Shihoin-sama." He hoped that he didn't blush, but knew that it was a vain hope.

"You dragged Bya-bo in with you too."

"Yes, Shihoin-sama."

Well it had been against all etiquette to drag the Kuchiki heir into to pond, of course, but it was amazing how that thought hadn't presented itself when he had waved his arms around to try to find balance. Heck, he had been five at the time and though the heir hadn't been much older he had seemed the only thing possible around to stop him from falling in.

The Kuchiki lord had been very understanding. Huuori's father hadn't. It had been months before he let the boy come with him to the house again.

"You know, Bya-bo found it very funny."

"He… did?" Huuori blinked. That memory was one of great shame to him, so to have someone tell him that the victim of his youthful failing had found it funny baffled him. Back then there had been so many adults around, first to fish them up and then to drag the young heir back into the house, that he had never had the chance to apologise.

"Yep, he…"

A scream interrupted them. They ran and when they all came to a halt outside of the dining room where the scream he come from, the servant girl came rushing out. She was sobbing and when he grabbed her to hold her still she fell to the floor in a heap.

"They're dead! They're dead!" She cried and huddled on the floor.

Looking past her into the room he saw the bodies on the floor.

Huuori moved to reach them but Yoruichi was faster and was already by Rukia, while Soifon leaned down to check on Akane.

"Call a doctor," Yoruichi ordered. "She's not dead, but she will be soon if she doesn't get help."

Huuori ran.

* * *

Renji leaned heavily against the wall while he struggled to contain his temper. It had flared so suddenly that he scared even himself, and to push it back now was almost beyond him. Questions ran through his mind, round and round like mice caught in a maze, and no matter how he tried he couldn't understand the answer.

"I just don't get it." He growled. "How the hell could Sentaro and Kiyone do this? I mean… hell we thought it had to be Aizen or some kinda enemy or somethin' and then it was _them_ all along? They're fuckin' Gotei people, we're not supposed to run 'round stabbin' each other in the damn back. Why would…?"

Ichigo shrugged. "Hell if I know."

"Yeah…" Renji muttered. Just when he thought that things were finally starting to make sense again it all got all… complicated and shitty again. "At least the cap'n's back to normal." He said in an attempt to lift his own spirits.

"Yep. He'll be back to busting your balls in no time." Ichigo grinned.

"Yep." Renji grinned. It had to be the first time ever that that sounded like a good thing.

Feeling calmer now he straightened up from the wall and opened the door to Byakuya's room. A rain cooled wind blew through the room and his eyes fell on the open window. That was not opened when he left. His eyes turned quickly to the bed.

"Fuck no." He swore and ran to the empty bed. "No, no, no, no, no… where is he?"

Ichigo was already by the window, squinting out into the rain. "There's no way he'd have left on his own, right?"

"Heck, no."

"Yeah." Ichigo nodded grimly. "Let's go."

* * *

Something wet and cool splashed against his cheeks, momentarily rousing him and he wondered why the servants had left the window open while he slept. Whatever small awareness he had soon pointed out that this wasn't the case. He was not in his bed. Cool air whipped around him and by the feel of it he was being carried.

Had he been injured?

Had there been a battle?

He couldn't remember. His head ached and his limbs felt like deadweight. He couldn't even force his eyelids to open, so he did the only thing his body currently seemed to allow him to do; He waited and tried to assemble the pieces of the puzzle of his current situation. He'd always been good at puzzles, though they bored him. He didn't see the reason in cutting up a perfectly good picture and then reassemble the pieces.

This proved itself to be more difficult than he expected. Normally his memory was clear but now it felt muddled like an old muddy river. The one thing he knew for certain that he could remember clearly was being in his office. It had been late, the moon had been up he recalled because he had spent some time looking up at it while deep in though. There had been a knock on the door… and then what? Some shinigami, not someone noteworthy, had served him tea. After that his memory was a mess.

He thought he remembered Renji and being very irate at him for some reason, but this didn't feel completely like his own memory. It felt almost like someone else's memory had been shoved into his head and that they didn't really want to stick around in there.

What else? Something about a stapler…? Why would a stapler play a mayor part in any sort of memory? And the hall filled with captains… heavy eyes on him… why would they stare at him? Stare _down_ at him… No this couldn't be right. Byakuya mentally shook his head.

He recalled a small apartment, which was ridiculous because he knew he'd never seen a living quarter that small, and yet it remained rather clearly and fondly in his memory. Perhaps he had been dreaming? Had he fallen asleep in the office? No that would not explain his current situation even if that was something he'd ever allow himself to succumb to.

Whoever was carrying him made a sudden, sharp turn and for a moment he felt himself slide. Then he was roughly steadied again by arms he couldn't see. There was something familiar about this person's reiatsu though, but the reiatsu was weak and his brain was buzzing uncomfortably which made it difficult to concentrate.

Another memory flowed to the surface and this one was even more muddled than the rest. No clarity of what it was exactly except for a faint memory of being in someone's arms and an odd feeling of being safe.

Safe? Now there was an unusual feeling, he couldn't recall feeling it for over fifty years. Definitely something wrong there.

A sharp noise cut through his thoughts, making him aware that the air had stopped whipping about him and the rain had stopped falling. They were inside then. Abruptly he felt himself dumped on the ground without care.

The air was knocked out of him by the fall and he heard himself groan, but otherwise his body remained unresponsive.

There was a moment of silence, and then the sound of quick feet drawing close. Someone pulled him up by the front of his clothing and he hung heavily in the grip.

"Are you awake?" that voice he knew. It was low and hissed out in a tense whisper, but he would have known it anywhere. Akihiko.

He felt anger rise up inside him and struggled to open his eyes to glare at the other man, but his eyelids still felt like led and his lungs burned in his chest. He pushed it aside and forced his eyes opened.

Akihiko was looming over him, looking far more dishevelled than he'd seen him in decades, with his hair wet and stringy and in general disarray. His dark eyes were lit with triumph rivalling that of a either a warlord or a complete maniac, and Byakuya suspected that the latter would prove to be the case.

"Finally." His cousin hissed and then chuckled. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment when you look upon me and see your bane. No, wait, you probably do. You were there when my humiliation took place, so of course you know." Akihiko hissed out and drew a dagger. Byakuya recognised it, it was the ornamental dagger of Nori Kuchiki, and he couldn't help but find that ironic. How very like Akihiko in all of his theatrical splendour to choose a weapon with _that_ legend attached to it. The dagger of Nori, also known as the dagger of Law. It was said that Nori had received it from the king himself to "cut the laws with" in the days when Seireitei had been in shambles. It was a stupid legend because the law was not something that could be cut up by a dagger, but legends rarely made sense, and any noble house loved to be in the possession of at least a few such old pieces of junk.

The dagger descended. Akihiko's eyes widened almost comically and he froze. Looking down realisation slowly dawned on his cousin's face when he saw the zanpakuto buried in his side.

"You…" he forced out.

"Chire…" Byakuya whispered and felt himself being flung back forcefully. "…Senbonzakura."

Before he hit the ground again he saw his zanpakuto release itself into a thousand glistering knives and he heard Akihiko scream.

Then there was silence. He could feel Senbonzakura hesitantly reforming itself and he instinctively knew that he would not have the strength to call on it again. Only forcing the sword to form in his hand at all had drained him and now his body screamed in pain.

"…You… bastard…" Akihiko's voice floated over him. It was strained and he was panting, sounding almost choked. He heard the man cough violently. Apparently Senbonzakura had wounded him badly, but not badly enough, Byakuya thought. He gritted his teeth against the pain raging through him and tried to gather power he didn't have to use the sword again. When Akihiko flung him away from himself he must've gotten far enough from the zanpakuto to avoid being torn to shreds.

Byakuya's head was pounding. His body felt almost like it was suspended by invisible strings, disconnecting him from the world around him. He realised how weak he was, his body wanted to give in and fall away into oblivion and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't… couldn't… damn it…

"I'll kill you…" Akihiko's voice wheezed again. Then there was a pause and when he spoke again he sounded surprised. "You? Why are you here? You don't need to be here, I said I'd finish this myse…"

The sentence ended in a gurgle.

Byakuya opened his eyes and vaguely saw his cousin's body crumble to the ground, and another figure standing over the unmoving lump. Then his own body finally gave into the darkness. From somewhere he thought he could hear the distant yelling of voices but…

* * *

"Come on! This way!" Renji roared and lead the way through the streets of Rukongai. Ichigo followed him, surprisingly without comment. They were close, Renji knew it, he'd felt his captain's reiatsu only moments ago but now it was dwindling fast.

Come on, cap'n, just a bit longer, he thought wildly. Just keep it going a little bit longer 'til I fuckin' find you!

"There!" he yelled and pointed to a large, run down building ahead. He was in there! He didn't bother to open the door, too much in a hurry he merely drew Zabimaru and blasted through it.

"Byakuya!"

There was no answer but through the dust he saw his captain's body on the floor, curled on one side, and he rushed towards him calling out for him again.

Turning the limp form over onto his back he bent over him looking for any sign of life.

"Is he alright?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah, yeah… I think so…" Renji muttered, relieved to find his captain breathing steadily although shallowly. "He's breathing."

He looked around at his friend and frowned.

Through the dust he thought he could see someone slipping out on the other side of the building. Ichigo must've seen it too because he was already chasing after it so Renji pushed it out of his mind and turned his attention to Byakuya.

"Yer breathin' cap'n." He said, not really sure why he felt the need to assure the limp form of this. Nor was he certain why he couldn't keep his hands from stroking Byakuya's much too pale face. He's cold, he thought, and wet. Right, it's raining outside. Pushing his own top off he wrapped his captain in it and pulled the other man close in an attempt to keep him warm.

Byakuya's eyelids fluttered.

Renji's breath caught in his throat when grey eyes wearily gazed up at him.

"Renji..?" the voice was so low it was barely more than a breath yet it made his heart swell and beat like mad in his chest.

"Yeah, cap'n. It's me. Yer gonna be alright, I'll…" He rambled and only halted when his captain's eyelids widened ever so slightly. They seemed unfocused but he could see pain there right on the surface and beneath it more layers of pain and somewhere beneath it all a flicker of... relief?

Again he wasn't sure why, it later seemed to him like a whole lot of his actions that night were out of his control, but now he leaned down and brushed his lips gently against Byakuya's, feeling those smooth lips part in a silent intake of breath under his own. His heart was hammering so fast he was sure it would break out of his chest any second and splash onto the floor in a bloody lump, and it felt like the only reason it didn't was because Byakuya's lips anchored it to him. Later he reflected over how stupid that thought was but that was what it felt like, and he pulled his captain's body closer to his own to hang onto that feeling.

When he opened his eyes again Byakuya's were closed, obviously he'd fallen victim to unconsciousness again.

Kami-sama, the red head thought in sudden and terrified realisation, what the hell did I just do? And right after that came the inevitable thought that never really lingered far from Renji's mind whenever his captain was near; Kuchiki-taichou's gonna kill me.

* * *

Renji was received by a legion of shocked faces when he bustled into the Fourth division carrying Byakuya in his arms like a bride. He vaguely realised that some time after he and Ichigo had gone chasing after the captain the alarm must have been raised that Kuchiki-taichou was gone.

Unohana-taichou came rushing through the throngs of shinigami, quickly but gently urging him into a room where he could put Byakuya down on a bed while the woman and several other fourth division members looked him over. Renji remained in the room feeling rather out of place but at the same time not knowing where else he should go.

"Abarai-fukutaichou," the brown haired woman eventually said, albeit not unkindly. "You do not have to oversee my actions, I know my own work. Your captain is in good health considering the circumstances. You should visit Rukia Kuchiki."

His mouth opened to protest but then her last words registered in his mind. "Rukia? What happened to Rukia? Is she alright… Unohana-taichou?"

Unohana straightened. "She was poisoned."

"Poisoned?" Suddenly the blood felt like ice in his veins.

"She will be healed." The captain assured him. "She was found before it was too late for her."

He felt sudden relief rush through him and breathed out a breath he hadn't been aware he had been holding. Then he frowned when he again ran her words through his muddled brain. "Who died?"

"Akane Kuchiki, a cousin of your captain. She had consumed too much of the poison and we were too late to save her life."

"Oh." He wasn't sure how to feel about that. Mostly he felt relieved that Rukia and Byakuya were alive. The rest of that damned family… after what he had seen and heard about them… still to be poisoned. Poison was the weapon of a coward in Renji's opinion. No one deserved to die like that.

"You may leave, Abarai-fukutaichou." Unohana kindly reminded him.

"Yeah, but…"

Apparently the captain knew in which direction his thoughts had headed and she nodded at him seriously. "I will not let anyone get past me, Abarai-fukutaichou."

"Yeah…" he hesitated. Another stern but still somehow gentle look from the captain made him aware of that this was not a suggestion but an order. Ducking his head he muttered a "Yes, Unohana-taichou" and left.

He found Rukia in another room with a mournful Ukitake sitting beside her, talking to her in a low voice. When Renji stepped inside he smiled but Renji could clearly see that the mournful look never left his eyes. Abruptly he stood.

"I need to leave. The… questioning is soon to take place, and I should be there." He explained softly before leaving.

"I really wish this wasn't happening." Rukia sighed. "It's very difficult for him."

Renji frowned, currently he didn't much care for Ukitake's feelings. "Ya alright? Unohana-taichou said you'd been poisoned."

Rukia looked almost surprised, as if she had forgotten about such an insignificant fact. "Oh. Yeah, I'm alright. How is Nii-sama?"

The red head slumped into the chair next to her and sighed in relief. "We got him back. Unohana's checking on him n…"

Rukia bolted upright. "What do you mean 'you got him back'? You lost him? _Again_?"

"Woow! Rukia, it wasn't my fault! It was that Aki-Aki guy!" He quickly defended himself, nearly jumping out of the chair. "He kidnapped the cap'n and nearly killed him."

"You stopped him?"

"Yes! No! I mean… well we didn't… er… there was some other guy there. He got to him first. Ichigo's chasing him… er… I brought the cap'n back… er… Bottom line is Byakuya's safe."

At least Rukia agreed that that was the important part after all because she settled back down in the bed.

"Rukia!" The door slammed open and Ichigo stampeded into the room. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Rukia attempted an assuring smile but it looked bleak.

"Oi! Did ya get that guy back there?" Renji asked, standing up.

"I lost him. He must've blended in with the crowd." Ichigo announced gruffly and sat down on another chair.

Some time later they were all sharing all information they'd gathered over the past days, trying to make sense of what had happened. Rukia was particularly happy to hear that her brother was back to his adult sized self.

"So Sentarou and Kiyone were behind the whole turning-the-taichou-into-a-brat business, and Aki- whatever guy, was the one behind the assassin attempt. So who killed Aki-Aki… er?" Renji finished lamely by waving his hand.

"Akihiko." Rukia corrected automatically. She seemed to ponder the question.

"Uh…Yeah." Renji muttered and mentally scoffed. Who the hell cared what that ripe bastard's actual name was, anyway?

"He poisoned me and Akane-sama too." His friend added.

"Yeah." Ichigo looked grim and Renji had a feeling that if Akihiko wasn't already dead Ichigo would've made him wish that he was. Renji felt much the same way. "Hey, Rukia? That Aki-whatever dude – did he know that Akane woman?" Ichigo asked.

"She was his twin sister." Rukia said softly.

"He poisoned his own sister?" Ichigo asked and pulled a disgusted face. "That…! Damn! I don't know who the hell killed him but… damn… that guy should get a fucking medal."

Renji agreed whole heartedly, but from the frown on Rukia's face he realised that she didn't.

* * *

Apparently he had been unconscious for some time. Not a great surprise once Retsu Unohana and Renji had taken turns of explaining what had happened. It would seem that his body had been through rather the ordeal during the past few days.

"Oi, Bya-bo!"

He didn't bother to open his eyes and look up. That voice, not to mention that annoying nickname, was unmistakable.

"Baka-neko." He replied. It was one of those age-old conversations that had bounced back and forth between them for so long that the bite had rather been lost. "What do you want?"

He could hear her step into the room and close the door behind her.

"Akihiko is dead." She announced. "But you know as well as I do that he was not the one in charge."

"Yes." He agreed and opened his eyes. They stung a bit but he figured it was merely that infernal fatigue his body was feeling. "How did you know?"

The dark skinned woman looked grim. "I interrogated the assassin that cut you, and he gave me a name. It wasn't Akihiko's."

"You would trust the word of an assassin." He raised an eyebrow to incline how very dumb this was.

"I'm no cretin, Bya-bo. I do not trust the word of an assassin for no good reason." She sounded almost offended. "He was under the influence of a kido that kept him from speaking the name and when he did he died."

He nodded and wearily closed his eyes again. So then, he reflected, they were two to know. Possibly three if Rukia lived up to his expectations, and so far, he added with unfamiliar pride, she certainly had.

"You realise that Rukia and Renji will be wondering who it was that killed him." It wasn't posed as a question, just a statement.

"Of course."

"Will you tell them?" She prompted.

Byakuya pondered this only for a moment before answering with a curt: "No."

"Guessed as much." Yoruichi commented. "They'll be hounding you about it, you know."

"Indeed."

When he reopened his eyes Yoruichi was gazing down at him seriously, her very stance telling him that she thought he'd be better off telling them something but also knowing that he wouldn't. Then the serious look faded quickly, replaced by an impish smirk he knew all too well and he barely had a second to steel himself for the inevitable teasing. "Guess you don't mind Renji hounding you for a bit, huh?"

Byakuya blinked. He hadn't expected that and he frowned, wondering what that was supposed to mean. Against his better judgement he opened his mouth to question her about this unusual turn of conversation but halted when a… something flashed in his mind. It was too vague to be called a memory but somehow he knew that that was what it was. A memory of strong arms wrapped around him and soft lips… kissing… him?

Inadvertently he reached up to touch his lips and as soon as he did he knew it was a mistake. Yoruichi's face lit up with glee.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed and cackled with triumphant laughter.

"Get out." He blurted, only barely managing to keep himself from hurling anything within reach at her.

Yoruichi continued to laugh and Byakuya grabbed the cup on the table next to him, hurling it at her. If anyone asked, he later decided, he'd blame it on the medication. She easily dodged and ran for the door. Before closing it behind her she popped her head back in, grinning from ear to ear.

"_And they call it puppy love…_" she sing-songed and slammed the door shut when a pen came flying at her. He could hear her cackling all the way down the corridor.

Struggling to remain up right in bed Byakuya felt his anger slowly fade and as it did it took what strength that remained with it. With an undignified huff he let himself fall back into bed. It would seem, he thought as he lay gazing up at the ceiling, that his life may become rather complicated in the future.

* * *

END

**October 2011 - I updated this story just to clean it up a bit, add those neat lines and such, to make it simpler to actually read the blasted thing. **

**I know this story got a lot of loose ends that leads nowhere; I still wanna do a sequel, only I rarely find the time to write, but I'm still keeping the option open. I got a sketch of a plot in my nogging - spinning about- but that'll be for the (most likely distant) future. At any rate whatever sequel I write will have to be freestanding. **

**Anyways, thanks for reading this far, and I hope you liked it!**


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